District Attorney Summer Stephan warned consumers today to consider taking steps to protect their personal identifying information in the wake of a recent data breach at one of the large credit bureaus in the United States, Equifax. [TWEET THIS]

Cybercriminals stole 143 million credit records in the recent hacking scandal at the big-three credit bureau.

“At this point millions of consumers have to assume that the bad guys have highly personal information that they can use to trick you,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan. “Our ‘CATCH’ team has posted advice for consumers online and I encourage San Diego County residents to consider taking steps to protect themselves.”

Experts say to watch out for the following:

• Phishing (phony) emails that claim to be from Equifax where you can check if your data was compromised.
• Phishing emails that claim there is a problem with a credit card, your credit record, or other personal financial information.
• Calls from scammers that claim they are from your bank or credit union.
• Fraudulent charges on any credit card because your identity was stolen.
• Don’t give out personal information.

Here are five things you can do to prevent identity theft: [TWEET THIS]

1. Sign up for credit monitoring (there are many companies providing that service including Equifax, but be sure to read the Terms of Agreement carefully and note if there are any set-up or recurring costs associated with the monitoring.)
2. Place a fraud alert with one of the major credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
3. Placing a fraud alert is free and stays on your credit report for 90 days. Check your credit reports for free at www.annualcreditreport.com
4. Check your bank and credit card statements for any unauthorized activity.
5. If you believe you may have been the victim of identity theft, here are two sites where you can learn more about how to protect yourself: http://www.idtheftcenter.org and www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

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EN ESPAÑOL

Desafortunadamente, vivimos en un mundo en el cual este tipo de filtración de datos continua ocurriendo. Cuando esto ocurre, consumidores deben considerar tomar pasos para proteger su información personal.

Criminales cibernéticos ya se robaron 143 millones de registros de crédito en el reciente incidente de Equifax, lo cual indica que millones de consumidores deben asumir que los criminales tienen información muy personal que pueden usar en su contra.

La oficina de la Fiscalía le recomienda al público tomar medidas para protegerse.

Nuestro Equipo de Respuesta en Crímenes de Informática y Alta Tecnología, conocido como CATCH, ya publicó consejos en su pagina Web, y recomienda estar al tanto de lo siguiente:

• Si reciben un correo electrónico que parece ser de parte de Equifax, podría ser un fraude electrónico buscando obtener más datos personales.
• Correos electrónicos fraudulentos podrían decir que hay un problema con su tarjeta de crédito, su registro de crédito, o alguna otra información financiera.
• Llamadas telefónicas de estafadores que aseguran ser de su banco o institución financiera.
• Cualquier cargo fraudulento a sus tarjetas de crédito.
• No dé su información personal.

Cinco cosas que puede hacer para prevenir robo de identidad:

1. Suscríbase para monitorear su crédito (hay  muchas compañías que ofrecen el servicio, incluyendo Equifax, pero asegúrese de leer los términos del contrato ya que pueden cobrarle por el servicio)
2. Ponga una alerta de fraude a través de una de las compañías de crédito como Equifax, Experian y TransUnion. Una alerta de fraude es gratis y permanece en su reporte de crédito por 90 días.
3. Revise su reporte de crédito gratis en www.annualcreditreport.com
4. Revise su estado de cuenta del banco y tarjetas de crédito para monitorear actividad no autorizada.
5. Visite estas páginas de internet para aprender más sobre cómo protegerse: www.idtheftcenter.org y www.ftc.gov/idtheft

A man who sold heroin to a San Diego woman, leading to her fatal overdose, was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in local prison. [TWEET THIS]

Marc Gressingh, 36, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2017, to selling heroin and a prior conviction for narcotics sales. A judge split the eight year sentence into one year of custody and seven years of mandatory supervision.

The sentencing comes as more people are dying each year in San Diego County from accidental overdose or substance abuse intoxication of opioids, part of a national epidemic.

Deaths in the County from opioid abuse have roughly doubled in the last 15 years.

“An addiction to prescription drug opiates often leads people to begin abusing heroin, which is cheaper and easier to find,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan. “We’re responding to the opioid addiction crisis that is claiming the very lives of so many in our community and stealing the promise of their future by combating this issue on multiple fronts.”

[RELATED: The DA’s Office is taking a closer look at the fatal prescription drug abuse epidemic and what’s being done to fight it, in a series of short videos.]

Today’s sentencing is the culmination of a criminal case that began the morning of March 11, 2016. The San Diego Police Department responded to a reported death at a residence in San Diego. Paramedics on scene tried to revive the victim, Rebecca Mercurio, 31, however their efforts were unsuccessful and Ms. Mercurio died as a result of a heroin overdose. Based on initials reports that Ms. Mercurio had purchased the heroin in the East County area, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department took over the investigation into her death. After an extensive and lengthy investigation, Sheriff’s Department Det. Jacob Sanchez was able to determine the defendant had sold Ms. Mercurio the lethal heroin at a taco shop in East County on the night of March 10, 2016.

“Prosecutions like this send the message that when you sell heroin to another human being, you are literally providing them with toxic poison that can slow their breathing to the point of death. We also focus on prevention through education and on providing important programs that work to get defendants who have substance abuse issues help through Collaborative Court programs like Drug Court, Behavioral Health Court and Veterans Court,” DA Stephan said.

According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner, the increase in heroin deaths seen since 2005/2006 has continued, and heroin was the most common drug seen in those between the ages of 20 and 29 over the past five years. In 2015, 90 people died of heroin doses in San Diego County. [TWEET THIS]

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there is help and resources at www.sandiegorxabusetaskforce.org.