Fraudster jailed for two years after making £82,000 illegally streaming sports and films

By Jacob Phillips, local democracy reporter

A fraudster has been jailed for two years after making £82,000 illegally streaming sports and films.

Fuaad Al-Saegh, 57, conned TV companies by selling 628 ITPV boxes – which let users illegally watch sport and films online.

TV companies lose millions of pounds each year due to the illegal streaming of tv shows, big sporting events and blockbuster films.

Westminster City Council officers and the National Crime Agency first started investigating Al-Saegh in 2017 after discovering he was selling the TV boxes from two well-known online marketplace accounts.

The Westminster trading team secretly bought three devices for between £150 and £250 each.

Al-Saegh pleaded guilty to four fraud offences at City of London Magistrates Court on August 11 and was sentenced to a two year suspended sentence at Southwark Crown Court on November 5.

With the help of intellectual property experts FACT, AL-Saegh’s internet history was checked and the council discovered Al-Saegh had a huge illegal film collection – and he had been illegally streaming Spanish sports website BeIn Sports.

Councillor Heather Acton, in charge of regeneration and communities, said: “This investigation into illegal IPTV devices was a first for our trading standards service and demonstrates the expertise of our officers.

“The proceeds of crimes such as this are often used by organised crime groups to fund more serious criminal activity, so I am pleased that our investigation, with assistance from FACT, resulted in a successful prosecution.”

FACT CEO Kieron Sharp said: “This is an important conviction for Westminster City Council’s trading standards team who took on this prosecution against an individual who defrauded the broadcast and film industries for his own gain.

“FACT will continue to monitor platforms used to advertise, market, sell and distribute apps, devices and streams, to take action against suppliers, operators and consumers.”