This evening Fiat stock broker and online investment management portal Scottrade revealed it was hacked in an email to customers. The advised customers that critical personally identifying information was in all probability taken from their servers. In the email they offer that they have evidence they were breeched roughly around 2013 and 2014 without being more specific. Numerous fiat based financial services providers this year have not only had to weather attacks to their own infrastructure, but attacks which leveraged information attained in other breaches degrading their ability to provide services at all. Information publicly disclosed on the Scottrade breach so far was offered in an email to customers which availed them of a dubious credit monitoring service. Users of fiat services like Scottrade and of supposedly Bitcoin services that swear allegiance to customs of the fiat identity theft tradition are advised to stop doing that before you find yourself insolvent. The full text of the email is available below:
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Scottrade(R)
***************************Dear Client:
We are writing to share with you important information about a
security compromise involving a database containing some of your
personal information, as well as steps we are taking in response,
and the resources we are making available to you.**************
What Happened
**************Federal law enforcement officials recently informed us that
they’ve been investigating cybersecurity crimes involving the
theft of information from Scottrade and other financial services
companies. We immediately initiated a comprehensive response.Based upon our subsequent internal investigation coupled with
information provided by the authorities, we believe a list of
client names and street addresses was taken from our system.
Importantly, we have no reason to believe that Scottrade’s trading
platforms or any client funds were compromised. All client
passwords remained encrypted at all times and we have not seen any
indication of fraudulent activity as a result of this incident.Although Social Security numbers, email addresses and other
sensitive data were contained in the system accessed, it appears
that contact information was the focus of the incident.The unauthorized access appears to have occurred over a period of
several months between late 2013 and early 2014. We have secured
the known intrusion point and conducted an internal data forensics
investigation on this incident with assistance from a leading
computer security firm. We have taken appropriate steps to further
strengthen our network defenses.****************
What Happens Now
****************Federal authorities had requested that they be allowed to complete
much of their investigation before we notified clients. In
coordination with them, we are now able to alert you of this
incident. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their
investigation and prosecution of the criminals involved.Notices like this one are being sent to all individuals and
entities whose information was contained in the affected database,
and we have included here information about steps you can take to
protect yourself.Information about this incident is available online at
https://About.Scottrade.com/CyberSecurityUpdate, and we will update
that web page if new data becomes available.****************
What You Can Do
****************As always, we encourage you to regularly review your Scottrade and
other financial accounts and report any suspicious or unrecognized
activity immediately. As recommended by federal regulatory
agencies, you should remember to be vigilant for the next 12 to 24
months and report any suspected incidents of fraud to us or the
relevant financial institution. Please also read the important
information included on ways to protect yourself from identity
theft.We encourage clients to be particularly vigilant against email
or direct mail schemes seeking to trick you into revealing personal
information. Never confirm or provide personal information such as
passwords or account information to anyone contacting you. Please
know that Scottrade will never send you any unsolicited
correspondence asking you for your account number, password or
other private information. If you receive any letter or email
requesting this information, it is fraudulent and we ask that you
report it to us at phishing@scottrade.com. Be cautious about
opening attachments or links from emails, regardless of who appears
to have sent them.**************************
Identity Theft Protection
**************************As a precaution, Scottrade has arranged with AllClear ID to help
you protect your identity at no cost to you for a period of one
year. You are pre-qualified for identity repair and protection
services and have additional credit monitoring options available,
also at no cost to you.You can call AllClear ID with any concerns about your identity at
855.229.0083. This hotline is available from 8:00 am to
8:00 pm (central) Monday through Saturday.We have also included additional steps you could consider at any
time if you ever suspect you’ve been the victim of identity theft.
We offer this out of an abundance of caution so that you have the
information you need to protect yourself.We are very sorry that this happened and for any uncertainty or
inconvenience this has caused you. We know that incidents like
these are frustrating. We take the security of your information
very seriously and are committed to continually strengthening
and evolving our defenses based on new and emerging threats.Sincerely,
ScottradeBrokerage products and services offered by
Scottrade, Inc. – Member FINRA and SIPC.
—————————————————————–
*************************************
AllClear ID Identity Theft Protection
*************************************We have arranged to have AllClear ID help you protect your
identity for one year at no cost to you, effective
Oct. 2, 2015. You are pre-qualified for AllClear SECURE identity
repair and protection services and have additional credit
monitoring options available with AllClear PRO, also at no cost
to you.AllClear SECURE: The team at AllClear ID is ready and standing by
if you need identity repair assistance. This service is
automatically available to you with no enrollment required. If a
problem arises, simply call 855.229.0083 and a dedicated
investigator will do the work to recover financial losses, restore
your credit and make sure your identity is returned to its proper
condition.AllClear PRO: This service offers additional layers of protection
including credit monitoring and a $1 million identity theft
insurance policy. To use the PRO service, you will need to provide
your personal information to AllClear ID. You may sign up online
at https://scottrade.allclearid.com or by phone by
calling 855.229.0083.This hotline is available from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (central)
Monday through Saturday.Please note: Additional steps may be required by you in order to
activate your phone alerts and monitoring options.*************************************
Important Identity Theft Information: Additional Steps You Can
Take to Protect Your Identity
*************************************The following are additional steps you may wish to take to protect
your identity.Review Your Accounts and Credit Reports
————————————–Regularly review statements from your accounts and periodically
obtain your credit report from one or more of the national
credit reporting companies.You may obtain a free copy of your credit report online at
www.annualcreditreport.com by calling toll-free 1.877.322.8228,
or by mailing an Annual Credit Report Request Form (available
at www.annualcreditreport.com) to: Annual Credit Report Request
Service. P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281. You may also
purchase a copy of your credit report by contacting one or more
of the three national credit reporting agencies listed below.• Equifax, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, Georgia 30374-0241.
1.800.685.1111. www.equifax.com• Experian, P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013, 1.888.397.3742.
www.experian.com• TransUnion, 2 Baldwin Place, P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19016.
1.800.916.8800. www.transunion.comConsider Placing a Fraud Alert
——————————-You may wish to consider contacting the fraud department of the
three major credit bureaus to request that a “fraud alert” be
placed on your file. A fraud alert notifies potential lenders to
verify your identification before extending credit in your name.Equifax: Report Fraud: 1.800.525.6285
Experian: Report Fraud: 1.888.397.3742
TransUnion: Report Fraud: 1.800.680.7289
Security Freeze for Credit Reporting Agencies
———————————————You may wish to request a security freeze on your credit reports.
A security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from
releasing any information from a consumer’s credit report without
written authorization. However, please be aware that placing a
security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with,
or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new
loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing or other services.
If you have been a victim of identity theft, and you provide the
credit reporting agency with a valid police report, it cannot
charge you to place, lift or remove a security freeze. In all other
cases, a credit reporting agency may charge you up to $10.00 each
to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security
freeze.To place a security freeze on your credit report, you must send
a written request to each of the three major consumer reporting
agencies by regular, certified or overnight mail at the
following addresses:• Equifax Security Freeze, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348
• Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
• TransUnion Security Freeze, Fraud Victim Assistance Department,
2 Baldwin Place, P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19016To request a security freeze, you will need to provide
the following:• Your full name (including middle initial, Jr., Sr., Roman
numerals, etc.)• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Address(es) where you have lived over the prior five years
• Proof of current address such as a current utility bill
• A photocopy of a government-issued ID card
• If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either
the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law
enforcement agency concerning identity theft• If you are not a victim of identity theft, include payment by
check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American
Express or Discover only). Don't send cash through the mail.The credit reporting agencies have three business days after
receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit
report. The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to
you within five business days and provide you with a unique
personal identification number (PIN) or password, or both that
can be used by you to authorize the removal or lifting of the
security freeze.To lift the freeze to allow a specific entity or individual access
to your credit report, you must call or send a written request to
the credit reporting agencies by mail and include (1) proper
identification (name, address, and Social Security number),
(2) the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed
the security freeze; and (3) the identities of those entities or
individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the
specific period of time you want the credit report available.
The credit reporting agencies have three business days after
receiving your request to lift the security freeze for those
identified entities or for the specified period of time.To remove the security freeze all together, you must send a
written request to each of the three credit bureaus by mail and
include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security
number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you
placed the security freeze. The credit bureaus have three business
days after receiving your request to remove the security freeze.Suggestions if You Are a Victim of Identity Theft
————————————————-• File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to
your creditors and others that may require proof of a crime.• Contact the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC provides
useful information to identity theft victims and maintains a
database of identity theft cases for use by law enforcement
agencies. File a report with the FTC by calling the FTC's Identity
Theft Hotline: 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); online at
http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft; or by mail at Identity Theft
Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave.,
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. Also request a copy of the
publication, “Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft”
from http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt04.pdf.• Keep a record of your contacts. Start a file with copies of your
credit reports, the police reports, any correspondence, and copies
of disputed bills. It is also helpful to keep a log of your
conversations with creditors, law enforcement officials, and other
relevant parties.Take Steps to Avoid Identity Theft
———————————-
Further information can be obtained from the FTC about steps to
take to avoid identity theft through the following paths:
http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft; calling 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); or
write to Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission,
600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.Maryland residents can learn more about preventing identity theft
from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, by visiting
their web site at http://www.oag.state.md.us/idtheft/index.htm,
calling the Identity Theft Unit at 410.567.6491, or requesting
more information at the Identity Theft Unit, 200 St. Paul Place,
16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202.North Carolina residents can learn more about preventing identity
theft from the North Carolina Office of the Attorney General, by
visiting their web site at
http://www.ncdoj.gov/Help-for-Victims/ID-Theft-Victims.aspx,
calling 919.716.6400 or requesting more information from the
North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, 9001 Mail Service
Center Raleigh, NC 27699-9001.Vermont residents may learn helpful information about fighting
identity theft, placing a security freeze, and obtaining a free
copy of your credit report on the Vermont Attorney General’s
website at http://www.atg.state.vt.usMassachusetts residents are reminded that you have the right to
obtain a police report and request a security freeze as described
above. The consumer reporting agencies may charge you a fee of up to
$10 to place a security freeze on your account, and may require that
you provide certain personal information (such as your name,
Social Security Number, date of birth and address) and proper
identification (such as a copy of a government-issued ID card and
a bill or statement) prior to honoring your request. There is no
charge, however, to place, lift or remove a security freeze if you
have been a victim of identity theft and you provide the consumer
reporting agencies with a valid police report.———————————————-
(C) Copyright 2015 Scottrade Inc. All rights
reserved. Scottrade(R), the Scottrade(R) logo and Scottrade(R)
Advisor Services are the registered trademarks of Scottrade, Inc.Brokerage products and services offered by
Scottrade, Inc. – Member – FINRA/SIPC.FINRA:
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SIPC:
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Scottrade(R) Advisor Services, please add
advisorservices@e-mail.scottrade.com to your address book.PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Reply messages will
not be received by Scottrade.If you have questions regarding this communication or your account,
please contact us here. support@scottrade.comScottrade
P.O. Box 31565
St. Louis, MO 63131-0565Privacy Statement:
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Scottrade Security Center:
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