CA Attorney General Forms New Cyber-Crime Unit

SAN JOSE — Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the creation of the eCrime Unit, staffed with Department of Justice attorneys and investigators, and charged with identifying and prosecuting identity theft crimes, cyber crimes and other crimes involving the use of technology. "Today’s criminals increasingly use the Internet, smartphones, and other digital devices to victimize people online and offline," said Attorney General 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 eCrime Unit investigates and prosecutes crimes that include a substantial technology component. Examples and descriptions of the kinds of crimes that the unit will prosecute are: – Identity theft – The Internet provides new ways for criminals to steal personal information and identities whether through email phishing scams or trolling the Internet for personal information about others. – Fraud committed using the Internet – This includes scams perpetrated via email and on Internet auction websites. – Theft of computer components or services – Burglary and robbery of computers or other electronic devices by highly-organized gangs at manufacturing sites, storage facilities and retail stores. – Intellectual property crimes, such as counterfeiting or piracy – Large numbers of websites and online networks exist solely for the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, such as movies, music and software. – Child exploitation – Disrupting online child pornography networks and those who commit sex crimes against children using the Internet or social media. Read full PR