Zions Direct provides its clients with private, secure communications. Your confidential account information and transactions are secured (encrypted) with the latest Netscape Secure Commerce Server technology, the best in the industry. Additionally, Zions Direct clients are required to access their account using one of the latest secure browsers such as Netscape Navigator (version 4.06 or higher) or Microsoft's Internet Explorer (version 4.0 or higher).

Zions Direct servers use "cookie" technology to ensure your account's confidentiality and security, to make it easier for you to navigate through our site, and to enable you to create customized information on our site based on input you decide, including model portfolios.

The most common types of email fraud include email messages sent to you for the purpose of stealing personal and financial information.

These emails claim to be from legitimate sources you use and trust and try to entice you to provide different types of personal and confidential information including your online ID's, passwords, Social Security number and bank account numbers.

This practice is also known as "phishing" or "spoofing". Criminals trying to gain access to your existing accounts or to use your personal and financial information to open new accounts commonly use this type of email fraud.

Email Fraud

It is not easy to distinguish fraudulent email messages.

Fraudulent email messages try to obtain your personal information by asking you to reply directly to the email or ask you to link to a phony Web site that appears legitimate. Regardless of the method used, you will be asked to provide personal, financial or account information.

You can identify bogus emails by looking for the following characteristics:

• Immediate Requests. These emails will often ask for an immediate response to the email sent. For example, the message may tell you your account will be closed if you fail to confirm, verify or authenticate your personal information immediately.
• General greetings. Bogus emails often provide a general greeting and do not identify you by name, for example "Dear Zions Direct client."
• Typos and other errors. Fraudulent emails or Web sites may contain typographical or grammatical errors. The writing may also be awkward, stilted or inappropriate. The visual or design quality may be poor.

Online Fraud

You can take additional precautions as a consumer to protect yourself from email and online fraud. Here are just a few ideas to help:

• Remember that creating phony Web sites and sending bogus emails is easy to do. Be cautious about the emails you reply to!
• Never click on a link in an email message that asks you to provide sensitive personal, financial or account information.
• If you are asked to update or verify personal or account information, call the company directly.
• If asked for personal or account information in an email message, go directly to the company's Web site. Open a new browser window, type in the Web Address (e.g. www.zionsdirect.com) and check to see if you must actually perform the task the email may be asking you to do. This may include things like changing your password or opting for electronic statements.
• Never give out your account information or passwords to anyone.
• If you are concerned that you responded to a fraudulent email or Web site, report the fraud immediately and change your passwords.
• Frequently monitor your account activity.
• Always sign off Web sites or secure areas of Web sites (for example, Internet Banking) for which you use an ID and password to enter.
• When your computer is not in use, shut it down or disconnect it from the Internet.