CA AG Announces eCrime Unit

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/AG-Announces-eCrime-Unit--135544163.html

Attorney General Kamala Harris was in Silicon Valley Tuesday to announce a new crime unit that focuses on eCrimes.

"Today's criminals increasingly use the Internet, smartphones, and other digital devices to victimize people online and offline," said Harris. "I am creating the eCrime Unit so that California can be a leader in using innovative law enforcement techniques to target these criminals. 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."

The group of about 20 people is tasked with handling identity theft, child exploitation, piracy and other crimes that involve technology.

Harris said more than 1 million people across the state annually are victims of identity theft as the number of criminals using technology to carry out illegal behavior and harass victims steadily climbs.

Last year, California had 10 of the top 25 metropolitan areas for identity-theft related consumer complaints with total losses across the state exceeding $46 million.