Stephanie Sierra
From fraud and corruption to health care and public safety - her beat encompasses a little bit of everything.
Over the past four years at KGO-TV, she has been committed to exposing abuse of power and taxpayer money at every level of government. These stories have exposed well-known nonprofits, politicians, and influential billionaires.
In 2023, she won a regional Emmy for her investigation into a local county Sheriff accused of favoring campaign donors when issuing concealed carry permits. The story prompted action from the FBI's political corruption unit and the county Board of Supervisors. As a result, a local oversight organization fought to ensure accountability and transparency in future operations within the department.
Her investigations have exposed loopholes in numerous state laws that have resulted in added protections for wildfire insurance, medical billing, and regional cybersecurity practices. In April, her series on Oakland's ransomware hack revealed a pattern of oversight and negligence - causing dozens of people who had their social security numbers leaked but were never notified by the city.
In February, she exposed concerns about sex trafficking operations outside a grade school in Oakland that prompted action from local and federal authorities to install barricades and cameras to deter the crime.
Stephanie reported extensively on public health during the pandemic. Her work shed light on critical new medical technologies-including a Bay Area COVID-testing company that worked with the California Dept. of Public Health to save the State tens of millions of dollars with processing costs.
While at ABC7, her public health and consumer reporting have received multiple Emmy nominations from the Northern California Academy of Arts & Sciences and prompted action by the FDA.
She's also covered the gruesome murder trials of Chris Watts and Patrick Frazee in Colorado to the high-profile fraud trial of Elizabeth Holmes on the Peninsula.
Her passion for journalism started during her time at Mercy High School in Burlingame. "Career Day" transformed into a lifelong pursuit of storytelling. She graduated from the University of Missouri, majoring in broadcast journalism with a focus on investigative journalism.
After graduating, she braved the bomb cyclone blizzards and high altitude of the Rockies at the ABC affiliate in Colorado Springs (KRDO-TV) as an anchor and investigative reporter. Her year-long investigation uncovering the illicit massage industry in southern Colorado resulted in six women being rescued from human trafficking operations. It was honored with a regional Emmy and two National Edward R. Murrow awards. This followed years of consumer reporting on widespread contractor scams that prompted action by the Federal Trade Commission.
Stephanie is happy to be back home in the Bay Area, surrounded by the ocean views and majestic redwoods. You can often find her in San Francisco's Marina district with her 5-year-old dog Bubba!
If you have a story idea or want to say hello - contact her at Stephanie.K.Sierra@abc.com or on social platforms @StephanieABC7 & @StephanieKSierra.
Stephanie's Stories
Meta announces new device-based WhatsApp tool that uses AI to scan for scams
"Scam Alert" is currently out in beta testing.
SF landlord skirts rent control laws, doubling family's rent and pushing them out
A San Francisco family was shocked when their new landlord nearly doubled their rent in spite of strict rent control laws, forcing them to move out. Rents are rising dramatically in the city amid the AI boost as critics say landlords are taking advantage of a clause exempting most single family homes and condos from rent control.
Americans lost $95M via social media ads; here's what to look out for when shopping online
Most ads you see on social media aren't vetted -- so you never know who is behind that advertisement, and if that product is real.
Back to school tech is pricier thanks to chip shortage; here's how you can save
Back-to-school supplies doesn't just mean pencils and notebooks -- it can mean laptops, tablets and other tech.
SF man scammed out of $18,600 after fake Craigslist rental listing mimics real property owner
A man searching for an apartment in San Francisco's decade-high rental market says he lost $18,600 in a sophisticated scam that allegedly used a fake Craigslist listing to impersonate the owner of a real apartment, leading him to attend a real tour but wire money for a lease that did not exist.
Consumers turn to 7 On Your Side when Airbnb refuses refunds for reservations gone wrong
Some guests were burgled during their Airbnb stay; others couldn't make it to their destinations because of wildfires. One even discovered someone living in the Airbnb they had booked. All turned to 7 On Your Side for help with the vacation tech giant.
Drivers angry DMV 'lookalikes' charge extra fees to register cars, and DMV gets a cut
"Consumers are paying, in some cases, hundreds of dollars more beyond what they would pay just by going straight to the DMV website," said one consumer advocate.
Americans wasting more than $250 a year on unused subscriptions: Here's how to save money
Do you have any subscriptions you're not really using? A new report says Americans are throwing away hundreds of dollars in subscriptions they forgot they had, forgetting to cancel after a free trial, or by simply not using them. 7 On Your Side's Stephanie Sierra has some tips to stop unused subscriptions from draining your wallet.
Raccoon gives birth inside San Francisco apartment wall, breaks into bedroom
The raccoon gave birth inside the wall of a San Francisco apartment, then broke through to one tenant's bedroom, "The worst thing that could happen is the animal breaks through the ceiling and, like, drops on my head while I'm sleeping," one tenant said.
Where does my food come from? Here's where to look to find 'country of origin'
"Country of Origin Labeling" -- or COOL -- is a federal requirement for many fresh fruits and vegetables, some meats, seafood, and certain nuts.
