<A HREF="http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=42950">Internet identity theft</A> is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the U.S. today. For five straight years, the Federal Trade Commission ranked it as one of the most-reported types of fraud. Despite the increasing awareness of identity theft among consumers and financial institutions, the identity-theft racket shows no signs of slowing. Reported losses from identity theft, currently responsible for over 40 percent of all fraud complaints, approached nearly $300 million last year.