Crooks slither into Net's shady nooks and crannies (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Organized crime rings and petty thieves are flocking to the Internet like start-ups in the go-go '90s, establishing a multibillion-dollar underground economy in just a few years. The Internet's growth as an economic engine, particularly for financial transactions, is feeding the felonious frenzy.