Identity theft was the top US consumer fraud complaint of 2001, according to a US government agency.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) figures show identity crimes accounted for 40 per cent of all grievances.
Although instances can result from the theft of personal belongings, the apparent rise is often attributed to Internet security breaches. In some cases, hackers have been able to penetrate big corporations' databases to download credit card numbers and other data.
The latest findings are from a US government database of over 200,000 complaints, collected from law enforcement and consumer groups nationwide.
FTC director of consumer protection Mr Howard Beales said the findings reflect the agency's determination to crack down on this category of fraud.
Last year it set up a dedicated toll-free phone line for ID theft victims.
Consumer complaints relating to Internet auctions also featured high on the FTC list.
PA