What's in a bank robber's name?

DENVER - The "Shaggy Bandit" looked like Shaggy from "Scooby Doo." The "Itty Bitty Bomb Bandit" was a small guy, only a little more than 5 feet tall. The "JV Bandit" had a habit of wearing a letterman jacket to his bank heists. And the "Mr. Magoo Bandit" just sort of looked like Mr. Magoo.

When someone robs a number of banks these days, there's a better-than-average chance the FBI is going to stick that someone with a nickname. And the FBI isn't trying to make fun of the suspect. Its agents are simply trying to nab their man.

"It's pretty hard to keep them all straight when you're dealing with serial bank robbers," FBI Special Agent Phil Niedringhaus said on Thursday. "We tend to give them a nickname because it's easier to track them when we talk about the individual cases."

The latest bank robber to be given a name is the "$83 Bandit," so named because he tends to ask for unusual amounts of cash during his robbery attempts.

"The rule is that the name has got to run past me, because we need to make sure the name is applicable to the case and OK for the public," Niedringhaus added. "It's good for when we can get information to the press. People will remember when we're looking for the 'Shaggy Bandit.'"

Niedringhaus said sometimes the would-be robber isn't just doing something odd by chance.

"(The Sweaty Bandit) always had a towel around his neck like he was coming out of a gym.... It turns out he was wearing the towel to cover up a pretty significant tattoo on his neck."

The "Supersloth Bandit" wasn't particularly nimble. The "Bandage Bandit" wore bandages on his face and neck. The "Crooked Lid Bandit" always seemed to wear a hat slightly askew.

Bottom line, if it helps you remember the name, and it helps them keep track of all of their possible suspects, then Niedringhaus said the nickname is doing its job.

And it's not just the FBI which is trying to get in on the name game.

This summer Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputies were looking for the "Nighttime Nicotine Ninjas."

Golden Police were on the lookout for the "Oh My Gosh Bandit" last year.