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Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft

What is Phishing?

Phishing, also known as "Spoofing", is a high tech Identity Theft scheme used by Internet scammers in an attempt to steal consumers' personal information. Scottrade is providing you with the following information to make you aware of the seriousness of this fraudulent act, and to help prevent you from becoming an unsuspecting victim.

Phishing utilizes spam e-mail or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing various pieces of your personal information. You may be asked to disclose credit card numbers, bank account information, social security number(s), account numbers, passwords, or other confidential information. Please Note: Scottrade will never ask you to disclose your account information, or personal information, in an unsolicited email.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the criminals, known as "phishers", send a message claiming to be from a business or organization you deal with. Often, the fraudulent e-mail appears to be legitimate, both in the form of the e-mail address and the contents of the message. By asking you to disclose your account numbers, social security number, or other personal information, the criminals operating the scams are gathering your information in order to infiltrate your account or open new accounts using your identity.

How to detect fraudulent email:

  • The e-mail address appears to be from a financial institution, or any other source holding your personal information.
  • The e-mail message may request you to click on a link to access a web page. Be careful not to click on these links. They may go to a Web site requesting your personal information, using the same name, look, and feel of the company being misrepresented.
  • Fraudulent emails typically communicate a sense of urgency.
  • Take notice of emails that warn, without prior notice, that your account will be closed or your account information needs to be verified.
  • DO NOT enter personal information in an e-mail or pop-up.
  • Reminder: E-mailis not a secure method of transmitting information.

Steps to take if you suspect you have been a victim of Phishing.

  1. DO NOT RESPOND to an unsolicited e-mail asking for your personal information.
  2. Contact the company being misrepresented, using a trusted telephone number, e-mail address, or Web site.
  3. If you believe Scottrade has been misrepresented in the fraudulent e-mail please call 1-800-619-SAVE or e-mail us at support@Scottrade.com.
  4. Once you have verified that the e-mail is fraudulent, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). They are the nation's consumer protection agency.
  5. File a complaint at www.ftc.gov
  6. Forward the fraudulent e-mail to the FTC, at spam@uce.gov, so it can be available to law enforcement.

For more information on Phishing, click on the following links:

Brokerage Products and Services offered by Scottrade, Inc. – Member FINRA and SIPC.

No information on this web site should be considered a recommendation or solicitation to invest in a particular security or type of security.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of a mutual fund carefully before investing. A mutual fund's prospectus contains this and other information about the mutual fund. Prospectuses are available through our trading site or through a Scottrade branch office. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Margin trading involves interest charges and risks, including the potential to lose more than deposited or the need to deposit additional collateral in a falling market. Scottrade's margin agreement is available on our web site and at our branch offices; and contains the Margin Disclosure Statement and information on our lending policies, interest charges, and the risks associated with margin accounts. Options are not appropriate for all investors. Detailed information on our policies and the risks associated with options can be found in Scottrade's Options Application and Agreement, Brokerage Account Agreement, and Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (available from your local branch office or here). All option accounts require prior approval by Scottrade.

Market volatility, volume, and system availability may impact account access and trade execution.

Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other clients and are no guarantee of future performance or success.