NEW YORK (MainStreet) — Identity theft is one hot-button issue that won't go away — the more analysts bring it up, the more Americans say they fear it. And once again, I.D. theft has topped the federal government's list of consumer complaints.

The nature of the threats varies from year to year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Some of those scams (such as identity theft) target data theft; some, such as impostor scams, are designed to get fakers, often purporting to be government officials, directly into your wallet or pocketbook.

"While identity theft remains a huge issue, consumers should also keep a close eye out for imposter scams," says Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Whether it's pretending to be the IRS during tax season or making false promises of a lottery win, scammers are increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to deceive consumers."

No matter what the type of financial fraud, security experts say consumers are frightened because the savviest offenders are largely in control.

"Consumers recognize they are the puppets and the identity thief is the puppeteer," says Robert Siciliano, an online safety expert and chief executive at IDTheftSecurity.com. "That's pretty scary."

Becky A. Cole, chief capacity builder at St. Paul, Minn.-based More-Opportunities.com, can relate. Cole says she's had her personal data stolen six times from six places.

"Twice my information was on somebody's laptop and the laptop was stolen from the back seat of the car it was in," she says. "Twice it was stolen when someone hijacked my credit card information at the checkout in two different stores. I had to have my debit card replaced."

It's taken a toll. "I'm always looking over my shoulder, because thieves don't always use the information right away," she says. "It's already impacting me significantly because I have to have my credit report locked. That means even though I have good credit, I can't get a credit card without jumping through all kinds of hoops and setting off a variety of bells and whistles."

Cole says the interest rates she gets from credit card providers is significantly higher, because those providers view her as a higher credit risk. "Thankfully, I have a Visa card through my credit union that I have had for quite a long time," she says.

That's why security industry experts say the issue of identity theft is so pervasive, and so problematic.

"Identity theft isn't as bad as you think — unfortunately, it is much worse," says Darren Hayes, director of cybersecurity at Pace University's Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems in New York. "Identity theft can cause you to be arrested for a crime you never committed, result in your bank accounts or investments being stolen and prevent you from getting insurance, an apartment or even a job."

Americans know all this, and that's why the issue of I.D. theft and other forms of financial fraud, such as imposter scams, rate so highly as consumer complaints. Hackers and con artists seem to have the upper hand, and consumers know it.

— Written by Brian O'Connell for MainStreet