Attorney General Kamala Harris Launches eCrime Unit

Harris was quoted as having said in a statement, per the bizjournals.com article, “Attorney general creates cyber crime unit”: “Today's criminals increasingly use the Internet, smartphones, and other digital devices to victimize people online and offline. 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.”

Harris referred to a cyber crime that occurred in July, which was already under investigation in the state. The case involves Sacramento area man George Bronk, who received a four year plus sentence for email and Facebook hacking, as well as blackmailing individuals in an estimated 17 states after finding indecent pictures and videos.


Clearly, the creation of the eCrime Unit in California is timely, and much needed, and not only because of the rapidly shifting technological landscape, but because, per the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), California has the highest number of identity theft complaints of all states, as well as the third highest per capita. Per the article, statistics reveal that over 1 million residents become victims of identity theft annually; losses are estimated at nearly $50 million.

Because cyber crime, by its very nature, has a tendency to cross multiple jurisdictions, the creation of the eCrime Unit, which will enable investigation and prosecution at a statewide level, not only makes sense, but makes the most efficient use of resources, namely, its staff of twenty attorneys and investigators.

Santa Clara District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen was quoted as having said in a statement: “In the 21st century, law enforcement will be increasingly combating online criminal activity. The Attorney General's eCrime Unit will provide much needed resources and expertise to thwart and prosecute online criminals who cause billions of dollars in damage every year.”

Kamala Harris was elected as the first woman District Attorney in San Francisco's history, and as the first African American woman and South Asian American woman in California to hold the office, in 2003. And, in 2007, she was elected to a second term. Harris has dedicated over twenty years to courtroom prosecution. Among the many awards she has received, California's largest legal newspaper, The Daily Journal, recognized Harris as one of the top 75 women litigators in California, and one of the top 100 lawyers in the state.