Swedish authorities recently dismantled a major IPTV operation and uncovered the identities of nearly 5,000 paying subscribers.
This crackdown serves as a warning to cord-cutters who use unverified live TV (IPTV) services.
What Happened in Sweden?
Police charged a 43-year-old man and his 55-year-old associate with gross accounting fraud. Their operation, known as Nordicplay, earned approximately $3.8 million USD from IPTV sales.
IPTV Suspect & Service Details (Image Source: Expressen)
According to industry reports, Nordicplay was a large reseller within Nordic One, which controls about half of Sweden’s illegal IPTV market.
Investigators searched the main suspect’s phone and computer, discovering over 20,000 contact details. After matching these records with payment data, authorities identified 4,886 individuals who paid for subscriptions through Sweden’s Swish mobile payment system.
IPTV Payments (Image Source: Expressen)
IPTV Subscribers Not Charged (Yet)
Those 4,886 customers aren’t facing prosecution at this time. However, Sara Lindbäck from the Rights Alliance suggested police could reach out to warn these individuals.
“If the police informed them that ‘Hi, your customer information is found in a criminal investigation,’ I think people might become a little more aware.”
Similar warning campaigns have occurred in the United Kingdom previously.
New Streaming Law Could Change Everything
Sweden’s government announced plans last September to make watching pirate IPTV a fineable offense. Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand stated that more Swedes are “choosing to pay money straight into organized crime.”
This law takes effect on July 1, 2026. Customer lists like the one found in this case could then become direct evidence for issuing fines to viewers.
Currently, purchasing IPTV subscriptions exists in a legal grey area for consumers in Sweden. The new proposal would remove that ambiguity.
Final Thoughts
This case highlights the growing risks of using unverified IPTV services. Authorities are getting better at tracking payments and identifying customers. Even if you aren’t prosecuted today, your information could end up in a criminal database.
For more details on this story, refer to the original source (Expressen) and the report from TorrentFreak.
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