Other LanguagesThe Washington Attorney General’s Office is at the frontlines in the fight against online fraud, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress and the Center for Democracy and Technology. It describes our office as one of “the most aggressive online enforcers, setting an example for others to follow.”
We entered the fray back in October 1998 by filing the nation's first state lawsuit against a spammer. The national report spotlights several recent accomplishments, including a six-pack of spyware suits and a crackdown on freebie promoters who sold consumers’ personal information.
“The sword of justice can prevail in the virtual world,” Attorney General Rob McKenna said. “Our Consumer Protection Division remains at the center of the cybercrime combat zone because we’ve strengthened our forces and armed ourselves with the best investigative tools and legislation.”
Senior Counsel Paula Selis, a Washington assistant attorney general who heads up our Consumer Protection High-Tech Unit, said several factors have allowed Washington to make patrolling the Web a top priority. “First, there must be recognition that online fraud is a huge threat to consumers as well as to the future of online commerce,” she said during a teleconference with the report authors. “We go out and look for scams, in addition to responding to consumer complaints.”
