Online Brokerage Accounts-Safeguarding your money and personal information-part 3
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Online Brokerage Accounts-Safeguarding your money and personal information-part 3 by Securities and Exchange Commission
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Online Brokerage Accounts-Safeguarding your money and personal information-part 3-

How to Know if Your Identity Has Been Stolen

Sometimes, it can be extraordinarily difficult to determine whether someone has stolen your identity. If you take the steps below, you may be able to find out whether you've been victim of identity theft and protect yourself from further harm:

• Read Your Statements. Don't toss aside your monthly account statements! Read them thoroughly as soon as they arrive to make sure that all transactions shown are ones that you actually made, and check to see whether all of the transactions that you thought you made appear as well. Be sure that your brokerage firm has current contact information for you, including your mailing address and email address. If you see a mistake on your statement or don't receive a statement, contact your brokerage firm immediately.
   
• Monitor Your Credit Report. Reviewing your credit report may alert you to unauthorized activity, and, therefore, can be an effective way to fight identity theft. You can obtain a free credit report every 12 months from three different credit bureaus by contacting the Annual Credit Report Request Service. 

Investor Tip:  Read your brokerage account agreement carefully because many firms take the position that you are responsible for the security of your account information, such as your username, password, and account number.  In addition, your brokerage account agreement may provide information about what specific steps you should take if you notice any unauthorized account activity.

What to Do if You Run into Trouble 

Always act quickly when you come face to face with a potential fraud, especially if you've lost money or believe your identity has been stolen.

• Identity Theft. If you think that your personal information has been stolen, visit the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Resource Center at www.consumer.gov/idtheft/index.html for information on how to file a complaint and control the damage. 
   
• Securities Scams. Before you do business with any investment-related firm or individual, do your own independent research to check out their background and confirm whether they are legitimate. For step-by-step tips and links to helpful websites, please read Check Out Brokers and Advisers and SIPC Exposes Phony "Look-Alike" Web Site. Report investment-related scams to the SEC using our online Complaint Center. 
   
• Phishy Emails. If a phishing scam rolls into your email box, be sure to tell the company right away. You can also report the scam to the FBI's Internet Fraud Complaint Center at www.IFCCFBI.gov. If the email purports to come from a brokerage firm or mutual fund company, be sure to pass along that tip to the SEC's Enforcement Division by forwarding the email to enforcement@sec.gov. 

Additional Resources 

For more information, please read: 

• Internet Fraud: How to Avoid Internet Investment Scams 
   
• "Phishing" Fraud: How to Avoid Getting Fried by Phony Phishermen 
   
• NASD Investor Alert - Protect Your Online Brokerage Account: Safety Should Come First When Logging In and Out 
   
• NASD Investor Alert - Well-Traveled Fraud: Advance Fee-Scams Target Non-U.S. Investors Using Fake Regulator Web Sites and False Broker Identities
   
• FDIC Consumer Alert - ID Theft: Strategies and Help for Fighting Back

http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinebrokerage.htm
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