SCRANTON, Pa. — Last year, the Federal Trade Commission recorded 800,000 cases of identity theft. Workers at AAA North Penn in Scranton not only want to keep their customers safe while out on the road, but they also want to help protect their finances.
AAA has a free identity theft protection service through Experian.
"It offers credit monitoring, credit reporting, lost wallet protection, fraud resolution support, and also up to $10,000 in identity theft insurance for AAA premier members," said Nina Waskevich, vice president of brand and membership for AAA North Penn.
As technology advances, it becomes easier for people to steal your identity.
"Taking their names or date of birth, taking their social security numbers, applying for different things, getting credit cards in their names, getting all the good stuff but not the bills," said Trooper Anthony Petroski, Pennsylvania State Police.
"It's easier for people to buy lists on black markets, access financial information, like I said, using free Wi-Fi is an easy way, unfortunately, for hackers to be able to get into your either mobile device or your laptop," Waskevich said.
Even though anyone can become a victim of identity theft, troopers say senior citizens are more trusting individuals, which can cause them to fall for scams more easily.
"If somebody was calling you, coming to your house, they were legitimately from a business but now, it's scams," Trooper Petroski said.
There are ways to protect yourself from identity theft, such as updating your passwords and not giving out sensitive information.
"Especially for any kind of banking or secured sites, maybe like every six months, look at changing your passwords," Waskevich advised.
"If somebody calls and asks for that, don't just provide it quickly. Ask who they're calling from, what company, and then you can call them directly," Trooper Petroski added.
If you become a victim of identity theft, officials say you should file a police report and put a freeze on all credit cards.