California authorities have announced the official creation of a new crime fighting unit known as the eCrime Unit designed to target crimes involving technology, such as identity theft. In recent years, identity theft crimes have risen in in California and across the United States as criminals learn new ways to use technology to illegally gain access to money and create various identity theft traps. According to California Attorney General Kamala Harris, more than 1 million Californians are victimized by identity theft every year.
Although the eCrime Unit began operating in August it was not officially announced until December 2011. The unit is supposed to be focusing on using innovative law enforcement strategies to investigate and prosecute technologically savvy criminals. The unit will be working with law enforcement across the state and will help prosecute criminals who often affect several jurisdictions with their activities. The unit employs a total of 20 attorneys and investigators and has already been instrumental in cases, including a Sacramento-based Facebook hacker sentenced to four years in prison.
In the U.S., California had the greatest number of identity theft complaints in 2010 and 10 of the top 25 metropolitan areas affected by identity theft. In total, identity theft crimes totaled $46 million in losses in 2010.
Identity theft can severely harm a victim’s livelihood and leave long-lasting damages if not dealt with swiftly and correctly. Los Angeles identity theft attorney Howard D. Silver can protect you from fraudulent debt and improper debt collection caused by identity theft. For a free consultation on your identity theft rights, call (866) 495-3666 today.
