There was a spike in phishing activity last month, with fraudsters targeting an increasing number of brands and using more sophisticated tools to try and fool online banking customers, according to the RSA Online Fraud Intelligence Report for November.

BLOOMINGTON — The story never gets old this time of year: Some Grinch wants to steal your Christmas, and in some cases, your life.

As shoppers race to buy gifts before the holidays arrive, they often become more lax with personal information and credit card numbers, said Stan Ommen, president of State Farm Bank and chairman of the Identity Theft Assistance Center, a bloc of financial institutions.