Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

The advancement of internet technologies has made our everyday life more convenient, an investor can use a single platform to manage funds, trade various securities, and obtain real-time market data. However, with such convenience it is also more important than ever to safeguard your identity. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Firstrade is committed to helping our clients safeguard their identity from criminals. Please read the following information to learn more about common identity thief tactics, and what you can do to protect yourself.

What is "Phishing"?

Phishing (pronounced "fishing"), also known as "spoofing", is an increasingly popular high-tech scam that lures unsuspecting clients into providing sensitive information, such as passwords, brokerage account numbers, social security number, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers by pretending to be a trustworthy person or business through email. These fraudulent emails often closely resemble official forms of communication from the trusted business, such as Firstrade Securities, and can be very difficult to differentiate. Sometimes there are even links within the email that will open web pages that looks and feels like the official website. Firstrade would never ask you to disclose any account information or personal information in an unsolicited email.

How do I spot fraudulent communication?

Although scam artists try very hard to make fraudulent emails resemble official communication, there are often clues that will allow you to detect the scam. Here are some common characteristics of "phishing" emails, and how to determine if the email is authentic or a spoof.

• The email is completely unsolicited, from an address that looks legitimate (such as support@firstrade.com or feedback@firstrade.com).
• The email includes the logo graphics to convince reader of its authenticity, but has obvious typos and poor grammar.
• Content of the email lures the user to reply in order to confirm or verify personal information. This is usually done by conveying a sense of urgency, such as pointing out an error with the account that needs to be corrected immediately.
• A link in the email directs the user to a page that looks and feels like an official webpage. Links in an email does not always take you where you think it would! Make sure you check the URL before entering any sensitive information, and confirm that you are in the Firstrade.com domain. You can sometimes spot the problem by looking at the bottom of the browser when you put the mouse over the link. For example, this link "Click Here To Visit the Firstrade Homepage" actually takes you to the U.S. Federal Trade Commissions page. Simply put your mouse over the link to spot the problem.

If you are suspicious of any form of communication and believe that it is fraudulent, you can protect yourself by:

• Never respond to any form of unsolicited communication that asks for your account number, login information, bank account information, or social security number.
• If you receive email from Firstrade and suspect that it could be fraudulent, verify the authenticity of the email by contacting us at service@firstrade.com, or calling 1-800-869-8800 during business hours.
• Regularly monitoring your account for unauthorized transactions.
• Change your username/password on a regular basis.
• Install Spam Filters and Anti-Virus software that can screen out fraudulent emails.
• Forward any suspicious Firstrade emails to service@firstrade.com. We will verify its authenticity and take appropriate actions.

What can I do if I believe my identity has been misused?

If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, take the following actions immediately.

• Contact Firstrade and any other financial service institutions where you have an account or credit card. Inform them that you have been a victim of identity theft.
• Notify the credit reporting agencies by calling the toll-free number listed below, and place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to call one agency as it will forward the alert to the other two.
  Equifax:1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374- 0241
  Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
  TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
• File a report with your local police.
• You can file a complaint online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). To submit the complaint by mail, write to: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.

Other useful resources on this issue:

• Federal Trade Commission - http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
• Department of Justice - http://www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/
• Social Security Administration - http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm
• Securities and Exchange Commission - http://sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinebrokerage.htm
• FINRA