The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) has seen a large spike in the number of identity theft cases in the state, according to WTOL.com. The fraud. cases account for $10 million a year and affect hundreds of people.

According to the OHSP, they have seen a rise in identity fraud., and have investigated nearly 250 theft cases so far this year - more than double the amount of cases they saw last year - and it shows no sign of slowing.

"Through our training we are able to look for the fraud.ulent documents, finding a fake drivers license, finding a fake social, finding a fake security card, finding a bunch of credit cards in multiple people's names within the normal traffic stops that we incur," Sargent Robert Ashenfelter of the OSHP told the news source.

Ashenfelter recommended that citizens avoid keeping sensitive documents in their vehicles, as a criminal who steals a car will have access to all of the information inside.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are 9 million cases of identity theft each year in the U.S. When shopping online, it's wise to protect yourself from fraud. by using a secure payment company.