Consumer Fraud & Environmental Protection
Welcome to the Consumer Fraud & Environmental Protection Division (CFEPD) of the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office! We actively investigate and pursue cases against businesses and individuals that “harm” consumers in Yolo County, and work to actively protect Yolo County’s natural resources from pollution, degradation, and environmental harm. We also join forces with other District Attorneys’ Offices throughout California as well as the Attorney General’s Office to stop some of the country’s largest businesses from engaging in these types of activities in Yolo County.
Here are some examples of consumer “harm” that the CFEPD has addressed and stopped:
Unclean or unpermitted restaurants or other food service businesses posing a threat to public health and safety
- Businesses that use false or misleading advertising on products offered for sale in Yolo County
- Businesses offering expired over the counter (OTC) medications for sale in Yolo County
- Businesses offering products for sale in Yolo County containing excessive and deceptive “slack fill,” or, too much empty space in product packaging
- Businesses refusing to refund gift card balances to consumers that were below ten dollars ($10.00)
Here are some examples of the ways the CFEPD protects the environment and public safety:
Stopping individuals and businesses from sending hazardous wastes to the Yolo County landfill
- Stopping illegal dumping and the illegal transportation and disposal of hazardous waste
- Preventing damage to local streams and creeks through unpermitted construction activity
- Requiring site cleanup where applicable as part of case settlements
- Penalizing those that jeopardize their workers and public health through unsafe workplaces, including the improper or unlawful use of pesticides
- Ensuring businesses properly maintain and operate underground storage tanks
To alert and educate Yolo County citizens against scam attempts, the District Attorney’s Office regularly posts social media alerts aimed to safeguard residents against these fraudulent efforts. Our office also hosts an Annual Senior Resource & Crime Prevention Fair, which includes fraud prevention information, and conducts other outreach to keep the public informed of current scam methods and ways to protect themselves from scam artists.
In 2020, the CFEPD also investigated numerous citizen complaints related to price gouging occurring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through our efforts, multiple businesses corrected their prices, thereby ensuring that Yolo County citizens paid fair prices for food products, toilet paper, face masks, hand sanitizer, and other necessities.
If you want to read more about what we do, please click on the links below to access the press releases for some of our more recent cases.
Also, you can help the CFEPD protect your community! If you see or hear anything that you believe to be harming consumers or the environment in Yolo County, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (530) 406-4787 or fraud@yoloda.org. Fraud Complaint Form
Environmental Fraud Press Releases