Don’t Use Credit Cards to Buy Unverified IPTV (New IPTV Study)

By iptv.legal , in News , at June 25, 2023

A new IPTV study recommends you don’t use credit cards to buy unverified IPTV services.

Recent studies by the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) reveal potential dangers of providing credit card information to unverified IPTV services, including unexpected additional charges.

Important Note: Our team at IPTV Wire has always recommended using 3rd party payment methods instead of credit/debit cards or banking information. This includes:

Bitcoin or other Cryptocurrencies
PayPal
Prepaid Credit Cards
Masked Credit Cards

You can find this and other IPTV suggestions in our popular IPTV Setup Guide.

In the face of steep cable subscription costs, a significant number of consumers have made the switch to more affordable Internet TV options.

Though there is an ample selection of legal streaming alternatives, the market is also awash with IPTV providers that knowingly stream content without rights holder permissions.

These illicit IPTV platforms generally charge nominal subscription fees, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t raking in substantial profits.

A recent analysis suggests that earnings from these operations have exceeded €1 billion in Europe alone.

Giving Piracy IPTV Operators Credit

The report titled “Giving Piracy Operators Credit” by the DCA sheds light on some darker corners of this industry, which is not just a playground for rogue digital enthusiasts.

The lucrative nature of this business has drawn the attention of various criminal elements. Some operators have been reported to surreptitiously ‘rob’ their customers.

The DCA launched an investigation using a virgin credit card to subscribe to 20 IPTV services and track the outcome.

This included popular live TV providers such as IPTV Trends, Falcon TV, Comstar, Mom IPTV, Pelican Hosting, and others.

Within weeks of subscriptions, the investigators started noticing mysterious charges from countries like China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Lithuania. It remained unclear which services misused the credit card details, indicating that not all were secure.

Shortly after signing up for these dubious services, the credit card was hit with $1,495 in unauthorized charges, ostensibly for purchases ranging from groceries to computer software. A particularly suspicious charge of $850, however, was thankfully not processed.

The DCA report highlights a $17.21 charge from a women’s clothing store in Qingdao City, China, named “Affectioni”.

The unauthorized charges ranged from a few dollars to over $200, with one large mystery charge of $850 that was successfully blocked by Capital One bank.

Though it may seem obvious, the findings reiterate that sharing one’s credit card information with an uncertain IPTV service could lead to financial risks.

However, this doesn’t imply that all such providers are exploiting their subscribers’ credit cards.

While successful businesses usually operate on principles that emphasize customer trust and long-term relationships, some services seem to prefer immediate profit over building loyalty.

The DCA strongly advises against the use of such services. They also call upon consumer advocacy groups, online intermediaries, and the U.S. Government to take action.

They believe that payment providers should refuse to transact with these illicit IPTV services and that public alerts about the risks should be issued by consumer groups and reinforced by the Federal Trade Commission.

The DCA also urges U.S. law enforcement to utilize the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act (PLSA) enacted in 2020, to initiate more cases against these criminal IPTV streaming services.

Given that the illegal streaming ecosystem is now valued at around $2 billion, it’s time the Department of Justice took definitive action.

To further solidify their research, the DCA conducted a survey among 2,330 Americans. The results showed that nearly one-third admitted to consuming pirated content at least once over the past year. Out of these, 10% had paid for a subscription.

The survey also found that those who had used a credit card to pay for an IPTV subscription were at least four times more likely to experience identity theft or malware issues.

Furthermore, 72% of the participants who had paid for IPTV subscriptions reported credit card breaches, compared to 18% of those who never visited pirated sites.

For more information, you can refer to the official DAC Report and the story from TorrentFreak.

Legal IPTV Streaming Options

It’s impossible for IPTV Wire to determine whether unverified IPTV services, apps, websites, or add-ons hold the proper licensing.

If and when an IPTV service is deemed illegal, we notify our users immediately and update reports on our website like this one to reflect that information.

In conclusion, the end-user is responsible for all content accessed through free IPTV apps and paid services.

See our detailed guide below for more information on the legality of IPTV and everything you need to know before streaming.

Is IPTV Legal? Read This

For 100% verified and legal IPTV providers, see the options listed below. All of these providers can be trusted with credit card information.