This week Attorney General Kamala Harris announced the creation of a new crime fighting unit focused on identity theft, cyber security and other technology-related crimes.
“The eCrime Unit will be comprised of investigators and prosecutors charged with working across jurisdictions and leading task forces to protect California consumers and businesses,” said Harris, who noted that criminals are increasingly using the Internet and smart phones to victimize people.
Last year, California had 10 of the top 25 cities for the most identity-theft related consumer complaints in the nation. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the Golden State has the most identity theft complaints of any state with more than 1 million victims with total losses exceeding $46 million last year.
Attorney General Kamala Harris Photo courtesy of California Attorney General's Office
The new unit will go after Internet-related fraud, computer theft, intellectual property crimes such as piracy and child exploitation. It will also provide support to California’s five regional high-tech task forces and provide coordination for out-of-state technology crime investigations.
