As we move into the holiday season, the Office of Information Systems would like to remind you that identity and credit card thieves will be increasing their efforts to steal your information. The newest tools they are using mimic retail store phone apps. If you’re planning on doing any holiday shopping through a smartphone or handheld device, use caution and guard your information. E-mail scams will also be on the increase, so be sure to double check all links contained in emails asking you to confirm or update credit card information. Retail online stores will never ask you to verify your credit card information via email after a purchase.