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Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit |
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Robert E. Nichols
Deputy District Attorney
(415) 473-6450
Fax: 473-3719 |
The Consumer Protection Unit is responsible for handling a broad spectrum of consumer
protection activities. Its focus is to protect honest citizens from fraudulent or dishonest business practices.
They have four major areas of concern: enforcement, mediation, referral, and outreach.
The enforcement arm of the Consumer Unit prosecutes violations of California's unfair
business practices and false advertising laws. Additionally the Unit enforces environmental crime,
financial elder abuse crimes, Brown Act violations, conflict of interest charges, political corruption
cases, and, major fraud violations.
The Consumer Unit works with state and local agencies in the enforcement of business
regulation. Some of these agencies include: the California Department of Consumer Affairs; Contractor's
State License Board; Medical Board; local departments of Health, Agriculture, and Weights and Measures.
The mediation program, staffed with one full-time employee and well-trained volunteers,
handles consumer-vendor dispute mediation, education of both consumers and retailers, and is a public
resource for consumer rights information. This program also assists consumers in efforts to obtain a
resolution of their dispute, short of going to court.
Referral services consist of directing complainants to state and local regulatory
agencies that are established to deal with consumer issues. Such agencies could include: The California
Department of Consumer Affairs, the Public Utilities Commission, Contractor's Board, California
Department of Corporations and various other agencies specialized in the enforcement of certain laws.
The Consumer Protection Unit has an active outreach program. Speakers are provided
upon request to community groups who are concerned about con artists, scams or financial abuse of elders.
We are an active participant in the Elder Financial Protection Network (EFPN), dedicated to preventing seniors from being victims of theft or embezzlement from their bank
accounts. We publish consumer tips in the local paper, and do whatever we can to spread the word about
how to avoid consumer fraud.
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