February 15th, 2012 California Takes a Bite Out of Cyber Crime
By the AllClear ID Team
Vanessa here from AllClear ID. California ranks among the worst states for identity theft, with more than 1 million residents as victims every year. The state’s Attorney General, Kamala Harris, has decided to fight back against identity thieves with a new unit devoted to prosecuting high-tech crimes.
The new eCrime Unit is made up of 20 attorneys and investigators who have the task of prosecuting identity theft, online fraud, computer theft, counterfeiting and piracy, and child exploitation. They will support California’s five regional high-tech task forces, and coordinate efforts for multistate investigations. The unit will also train law enforcement officers and prosecutors on information security.
Since forming in August, the unit has brought charges in several cases. In one, a Sacramento man was sentenced to more than four years in prison after allegedly hacking into victims’ e-mail and Facebook accounts, and blackmailing them with indecent pictures and videos he found there. In another, the unit broke up an ATM skimming operation in which defendants stole more than $2 million by installing card readers at ATMs in seven counties.
Harris also announced a new website devoted to cyber-safety, which has tips for preventing identity theft and keeping children safe online, and offers resources for victims of identity theft.
While California’s new eCrime unit is perhaps the biggest and broadest out there, it’s not the only state to have one. Texas and Florida have cyber crime units that focus on child pornography and exploitation, and Louisiana also has a unit that focuses on a wide range of cyber crimes.
As criminals become more sophisticated, law enforcement will need to catch up. But if California sees success with its eCrime Unit, you can expect to see similar units pop up across the country.
To read more about cyber crime check out the cyber crime section of the AllClear ID blog!
Views expressed are the personal views of the author, and do not represent the views of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, its employees, its members, or its clients.