San Diego County leaders are considering launching a new Consumer Fairness and Public Protection Unit aimed at cracking down on scams, predatory lenders, junk fees and other unfair business practices.
The proposal, led by San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, is still in the development stages. If approved by the Board of Supervisors in the coming months, the unit could be up and running by the end of the year.
San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer explains the scope of the new consumer protection unit she hopes will be up and running by the end of the year.
Lawson-Remer said the goal is to strengthen protections for consumers across the county.
“How can we as a county be a better advocate for the public here in San Diego County and protect our public against unfair corporate and business practices that are taking advantage of people?” Lawson-Remer is asking families.
The proposed unit would focus on more than just scams. According to Lawson-Remer, priorities would include health care and health insurance issues, particularly delayed or denied claims.
“That’s clearly going to be a top priority. There’s so many people who I hear about every single day whose claims are legitimate. They’re delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed, denied,” Lawson-Remer said.
The unit would also take aim at unethical or illegal business practices, predatory lenders, junk fees and environmental polluters — essentially any activity that preys on San Diego County consumers.
Under the proposal, residents could call the unit directly for help with individual complaints. Lawson-Remer said the office would also take a broader approach when issues affect large groups of people.
“People with issues can call and say, ‘Hey, this just happened to me, and can you help?'” Lawson-Remer said. “There’s also going to be sort of a bigger strategic litigation lens where we say, OK, these are issues impacting thousands and thousands of people across San Diego County.”
Community members, like Escondido resident Alvaro Gamez, say the need is real, especially among immigrants and older adults.
Alvaro Gamez from Escondido says he supports a new consumer protection unit as long as the funding is used wisely.
“There’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of scamming within our community,” Gamez said. “I’ve always been like you approach me, nah, I’ve been burned too many times.”
He attended a recent town hall with his wife to learn more about the proposal and said he supports the idea — as long as it is enforced properly.
Lawson-Remer said enforcement would be a key component. The unit would work alongside the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes and Consumer Protection Division and other local consumer advocacy groups.
“There’s just not enough folks in the fight, and the county has a lot of expertise and some resources that can only be used for this purpose,” Lawson-Remer said.
She added that the county already has millions of dollars set aside that legally can only be used for consumer fairness and protection efforts.
“Because we can’t spend it on other county priorities legally. So this is, I think, a moral obligation to put this money to work for San Diego residents,” Lawson-Remer said.
“Then over time, we do anticipate based on the experiences of other jurisdictions and other counties that this unit will be revenue-generating and will end up being self-sustaining,” she predicted.
The proposal still needs approval from the Board of Supervisors. A vote could happen as soon as mid-March.
A webinar is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. to allow residents to learn more about the plan, share concerns and ask questions.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.