Identity Theft Tops List of Consumer Complaints Online

Hucksters and rip-off artists are increasingly finding a home on the Internet as online scams accounted for an increasing portion of consumer fraud complaints last year, according to U.S. figures. Identity theft -- the practice of maxing out credit cards and running up bills in someone else's name -- topped a list compiled by the Federal Trade Commission, accounting for 43% of the 380,000 complaints logged by the agency and other consumer-protection organizations.