Many states, including New Jersey, have developed strategies to tackle cybercrime. It is a growing area of criminal activity, attractive because of its non-violent nature and the possibility of quick returns. The Manhattan D.A.'s office has worked on significant schemes to loot bank accounts, defraud credit card companies, steal the online identities of businesses and cash bad checks. The team has also identified child pornographers and recently caught a murderer by monitoring his Facebook page.

In addition to local and state agencies, federal agencies such as the FBI and Secret Service have increasingly focused on Internet crime. Federal agents now coordinate with local law enforcement agencies, instructing them in techniques that can help identify fraudulent and illegal activity on the Internet.

Source: Wall Street Journal, "D.A. Cracks Down On Internet Crime", by Michael Rothfeld, Dec. 30, 2011.