Update: Hollywood just caught some major movie pirates through Facebook, report reveals

[steven36]

Several of the U.K.’s biggest movie pirates recently received jail sentences totaling 17 years (split among five malefactors). A sprawling investigation by a Hollywood-endorsed anti-piracy group, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), led to the prosecutions brought against the five men.

 

Now, thanks to investigation papers obtained by TorrentFreak, it has been revealed that the investigators found the men rather easily, via their social media accounts.

 

The five culprits were responsible for managing a number of interconnected illegal file-sharing groups that together released more than 2,500 films online. The groups, named ‘RemixHD,’ ‘26K,’ ‘UNiQUE,’ ‘DTRG,’ and ‘HOPE/RESISTANCE’, had uploaded a variety of major films online, including Argo, The Avengers, and Skyfall, read a FACT statement.

 

“The outreach of their criminality was vast. On just one website where the group shared their films there had been millions of downloads,” added the anti-piracy group.

 

As with each of the movie pirates, Sahil Rafiq — who received the longest sentence of four years and six months — was identified through the aliases he used on the torrent sites to which he upload his files. Rafiq had also used one of the same usernames, ‘Sohail20,’ to create a post on the forum of a U.K. tech retailer regarding PC issues he was having. He signed off the post with his real name, which prompted a FACT investigator to search for his Facebook profile. Through the social network, they found Rafiq’s place of work — a science school in Wolverhampton, U.K. The last piece of the puzzle, Rafiq’s home address, was uncovered with the aid of a credit reference agency, Equifax. The details were then handed to the police.

 

In another instance, Graeme Reid (jailed for three years and six months) was identified via a Hushmail email address he’d used as a contact for an upload of the movie 21 Jump Street. Reid used the same email address on his Facebook page, which also contained his profession (“encoder”) and whereabouts (Chesterfield). FACT then used the Electoral Register to locate Reid’s home address, and soon enough the police were knocking on his door.

 

Facebook was also used as part of an investigation by FACT that led police to 33-year-old Ben Cooper, who has been jailed for three years and six months.

Although FACT’s investigators worked long and hard to track down their suspects, the culprits’ social media slip-ups likely made life a lot easier for the organization.

 

Source:: Digitaltrends.com

[Reefa]

Quote

As with each of the movie pirates, Sahil Rafiq — who received the longest sentence of four years and six months — was identified through the aliases he used on the torrent sites to which he upload his files. Rafiq had also used one of the same usernames, ‘Sohail20,’ to create a post on the forum of a U.K. tech retailer regarding PC issues he was having. He signed off the post with his real name, which prompted a FACT investigator to search for his Facebook profile. Through the social network, they found Rafiq’s place of work — a science school in Wolverhampton, U.K. The last piece of the puzzle, Rafiq’s home address, was uncovered with the aid of a credit reference agency, Equifax. The details were then handed to the police.

 

[mona]

2 hours ago, F3dupsk1Nup said:

 

 

So unbelievable stupid mistakes !  Will they ever learn ?

[straycat19]

2 hours ago, mona said:

 

So unbelievable stupid mistakes !  Will they ever learn ?

 

No, but then if someone wants to track someone down it isn't that difficult, even if they are using tor, because most people on the internet can't help from divulging information that when put together will allow anyone to find them.

 

[steven36]

2 hours ago, straycat19 said:

 

No, but then if someone wants to track someone down it isn't that difficult, even if they are using tor, because most people on the internet can't help from divulging information that when put together will allow anyone to find them.

 

Ignorance is bliss ,  the majority of people never head to the warnings  we give people about using services in bed with the government they think they know whats best . But being a release group and attaching you're real name too it in anyway you're just a careless  fool . These p2p groups spend  the next years in jail because they were reckless . While for the smart p2p groups  what few they really are and the real scene its business as usual . And  I don't miss one release because of there Ignorance because everyone is not so ignorant .  These boys could not encode there way out of a wet paper bag.

 

While I hate to see anyone put in jail for sharing but i seen people go to jail for less ,    really they did the world a big favor by getting these horrible releases off the internet. 

 

These guys could not sync audio and released mostly horrible pre releases they were the lowest  on the totem pole as far as release groups . I never fooled  with downloading there rubbish  other than looking at a sample  of there work.  Great job Hollywood  and UK police  you accomplished nothing but wasting the UK people's money on these nobody groups. 

[Holmes]

F3d is right *FACEPALM* Stupid criminals Im happy they exist makes for a good laugh at the end of a hard days work.