On February 18, 2025, three individuals suspected of making millions of euros in illegal revenue by distributing programming of a large German pay TV provider were arrested. Since the arrests, the suspects have been held in prison.
The company had filed a complaint in June 2023 with the Bavarian Cybercrime Central Office on suspicion of computer fraud. The 59 year-old leader from the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis had made the pay TV provider’s programming available to more than 30,000 users worldwide. The other two were from Bavaria and Baden-Würtemberg.
The Kripto Hof set up an investigation in collaboration with the Bavarian Cybercrime office which extended to 18 individuals. More than 150 staff from Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein and Saarland were involved in the search operation. The officials secured cash in the amount of about 16,000 euros and about 35,000 euros in cryptocurrency.
The three suspects arrested were a 36-year-old from the district of Wunsiedel, a 59-year-old from the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (North Rhine-Westphalia) and a 37-year-old from the district of Tuttlingen (Baden-Württemberg). Several accounts and more than 200 illegal streaming devices were seized, along with several servers allegedly used for illegal streaming, plus cryptocurrency and cash.
Further reading
Illegal streaming on a large scale – Three suspects in custody. Joint press release of the Police Headquarters of Upper Franconia and the Central Cybercrime Office Bavaria. Press release. March 10, 2025. Published by Redaktion (Germany)
Police arrest operator of illegal streaming service. Article. March 10, 2025. Radio Mainwelle. (Germany)
59 year-old in custody for illegal streaming. Article. March 10, 2025. Radio Berg. (Germany)
Why it matters
For commercial computer fraud, German law provides for a prison sentence ranging from six months to ten years.
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(Featured 9mage source: Glenn Carstens Peters via Unsplash)
