A new campaign has been launched to warn the public of the dangers of illegal television and movie streaming.
"BeStreamWise" aims to raise awareness of the risks associated with piracy when accessing film, TV or sport through illegal platforms, links and devices.
Viewers are being warned that by using these services they could give criminals access to private data including banking details and personal information.
The "BeStreamWise" campaign has been launched in partnership with groups across the TV, sports and film industries including the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), Crimestoppers, Sky, Premier League and ITV.
They are warning that illegal streaming services are increasingly operated by sophisticated criminal networks and that users could unknowingly open themselves to fraud, scams and identity theft.
"We're seeing more and more evidence of links between those involved in operating illegal streaming services and organised crime, and this initiative aims to increase public awareness of the risks of piracy, empowering audiences to safeguard themselves while enjoying the content they love," said Matt Hibbert, Director of Anti-Piracy, UK and Ireland, at Sky.
Research conducted as part of the campaign shows that 43% of the Irish population are unaware of the dangers of illegal streaming despite almost a third of people saying that they, or someone they know, have been a victim of fraud, scams, or identity theft as a result of illegal streaming.
"BeStreamWise is an essential educational platform focused on raising awareness about the dangers of illegal streaming and we are proud to be a partner of this important industry initiative," said Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT.
