Fraud & Security Video Library

Light, mid-tempo music plays. A blue background fills the screen.

Onscreen text:
Stay alert: It's scam season.

Blue background changes to an animated outdoor scene of trees and flowers, with mountains in the background. A woman is walking her dog on a path. Chirping birds fly by. She is startled by a buzzing in her pocket. She realizes she's received a text message and pulls her phone out of her pocket. There's a close-up view of the message on her screen.

Onscreen text:
WARNING: The IRS is filing a lawsuit against you for insufficient funds. An arrest warrant is being issued by local authorities.

The woman is surprised by the text message.

Woman with dog: What? When did I pay taxes?

Suddenly, in a flash of light, another woman pops into the scene. The dog is startled, barks, and hides behind the first woman, shaking with fear. The new woman looks exactly like the woman walking the dog: same clothes and hair. But she's wearing a blue cape.

Woman in cape: That's a strange text message. It's giving off scam vibes.

Woman with dog: But it's the IRS, right?

Woman in cape: The real IRS is a bit more old school. They'd notify you with a snail mail letter, not a text. This could be what is called a peer-to-peer, or P2P, scam.

The dog inches closer to the woman in the cape. It looks back and forth between its owner and the caped woman, confused by their identical appearance. It whimpers.

Woman with dog: But this text sounds so official.

Woman in cape: Yeah, scammers are good. In a P2P scam, it looks legit.

A close-up of the phone's screen appears again.

On-screen text:
WARNING: The IRS is filing a lawsuit against you for insufficient funds. An arrest warrant is being issued by local authorities.

After a moment, more text appears.

On-screen text:
Send funds here.

The word "here" on the phone appears to be a hyperlink, but a website is not indicated.

Woman in cape: Scammers use payment apps to trick you into sending money.

The dog creeps up to the woman in the cap and nervously sniffs her shoe. After a couple of sniffs, the dog relaxes and appears happy, as if recognizing who the woman is.

Woman in cape: If you're not sure, search online for similar scams, or go directly to the person, business, or agency you know to verify.

Both women stand with their hands on their hips. The dog sits between them, looking at the woman in the cape and wagging its tail.

Woman with dog: Funny, I was just thinking that same exact thing.

Woman in cape: I know. And good call on those shoes—so comfy.

The two women stand in the same pose, making identical hand gestures and facial expressions. The dog barks in excitement and happiness.

A blue color fills the screen.

On-screen text:
Protect yourself against cyber scams. Learn how at schwab.com/schwabsafe.

Brand music plays.

The Charles Schwab logo appears.

Onscreen text:
Own your tomorrow®

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake, TX 76262

©2023 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.

Light, upbeat music plays throughout. A blue background fills the screen. A white-lined box rises up as copy appears inside and below it.

Onscreen text:

ATTENTION HOMEBUYERS: It's a scammer's market.

The blue background changes to an animated scene of the inside of a home office filled with moving boxes. A man wearing glasses (his name is Kyle) is carrying one of the boxes and walks over to a desk where there's an open laptop and a stack of more boxes. A gray cat hops on top of a stack of boxes on the floor before hopping on the desk, and Kyle leans in to pet it.

Kyle: Hey, buddy. Looks like someone's getting excited about moving into our new place.

The laptop emits a notification sound. Kyle looks at the laptop to find that he's just received an email.

Kyle: What's this? A message from the title company?

Kyle opens the email and begins reading it.

Onscreen text:
Title Company <rob@TrustUsTitleCompany.com>
To: Kyle Finley
Kyle - You need too have the cash-to-close amount of $66,784.00 wired to our account today.

Kyle: Need to have cash-to-close… wired to our account today. Ooh! Better get on this. New house, here we come!

Suddenly, another man appears. This man looks exactly like Kyle: same clothes, same hair, same voice—but he's wearing a blue cape.

Caped Kyle: Hold up. Did you notice that typo in that email? And…

Kyle: Yeah, the sender's address is a little off.

Caped Kyle: Thinking what I'm thinking?

Kyle: It's a scam!

Caped Kyle: Yep. It's a scam.

Kyle: But how do I know for sure?

Caped Kyle: Call the title company to verify. This is your cash we're talking about. That's what I would do.

The men smile at each other.

Kyle: I like the cape.

Caped Kyle: It's a good look.

The cat pops up out of a moving box that's in-between the two men. It looks at both of the men as if it's confused who the real Kyle is. A question mark appears over the cat's head, and it meows.

A blue background fills the screen again. Another white-lined box rises up as copy appears inside and below it.

Onscreen text:
PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST CYBERSCAMS. Learn how at schwab.com/schwabsafe.

Schwab brand music plays. The Charles Schwab logo appears.

Onscreen text:
Own your tomorrow®

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake, TX 76262

©2023 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. CC7564541 (0523-31BV)

Upbeat music plays throughout

Schwab logo

Onscreen text:

Information Security. How we protect client accounts

Dennis Howard, Chief Information Officer for Charles Schwab, talking to the camera in a in a dark suit

Dennis: Hi, I'm Dennis Howard. Information security is a hot topic these days as we get more and more dependent on the internet.

Woman walking past Charles Schwab retail location

Dennis: And unfortunately, as criminals get more sophisticated, information security is a top priority for us and we protect client accounts in multiple ways.

Montage of Dennis talking to camera with quick cuts of Schwab cyber protection officials in high-security data center and close-up shots of computer screens and page navigation

Dennis: Of course, we try to keep the details of what we do to ourselves in order to make it more difficult for criminals to get a foothold. But what I can tell you is that our security program incorporates rigorous controls, tools and technologies that work together to protect data. For instance, we continuously monitor our systems and we work with government agencies, law enforcement, and other financial services firms to address potential threats. We use advanced encryption technology to secure communications on Schwab.com. We also use multi-layered protections to go beyond login name and password before we grant access to an account. Schwab.com uses extended validation certificates to help clients verify that they are on our authentic site and not a spoof site masquerading as Schwab.com. Behind the scenes, we use pattern analysis and other advanced analytical systems to detect suspicious account activity and prevent unauthorized access. If we suspect unauthorized activity, we ask additional security questions before permitting access to your account. We also limit the number of unsuccessful login attempts. Schwab's fraud teams regularly monitor activity looking for suspicious activity. This allows us to spot attempted intrusions and act on them quickly. But it's not just about online security. All the channels you use to access Schwab are protected. When you call us by phone, our representatives ask for several pieces of identifying information before you can conduct transactions.

Woman walking into a Schwab retail branch and visiting with a Schwab employee

Dennis: When you visit a branch, we ask you for a state-issued photo ID or a federal government-issued ID to verify your identity.

Dennis Howard talking to camera

Dennis: When sensitive transactions occur in your accounts, we provide you with an alert.

Close-up shot of Transfer of Funds Request page on Schwab.com

Dennis: Like when money is moved in or out of your account, or a purchase or sale of a security is made or when personal information is changed or updated.

Dennis Howard talking to camera

Dennis: But at the end of the day, we want to make sure you have peace of mind, so we provide the Schwab Security Guarantee . . .

Close-up shot of Security Guarantee page on Schwab.com

Dennis: . . . which simply states that Schwab will cover 100% of any losses in any of your Schwab accounts due to unauthorized activity. We believe security is a partnership between us and our clients. Thank you.

Onscreen text: Charles Schwab logo

Own your tomorrow®

©2016 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. (0515-3260)

Upbeat music plays throughout

Schwab logo

Onscreen text:

Information Security. What you can do to protect your account

Dennis Howard, Chief Information Officer for Charles Schwab, talking to the camera in a in a dark suit

Dennis: Hi, I'm Dennis Howard. We believe that security is a partnership between us and our clients. We do a lot to protect your account, but there are some basic steps you can take to keep your information secure.

Woman sitting outside of a building, scrolling on an iPad

Dennis: Some are obvious, like simply checking your monthly statements to make sure the account activity that's reported is legitimate. You might be surprised at how many people don't do this.

Dennis Howard talking to camera. Split screen shows Dennis talking along with a list of talking of points:

• Keep your equipment up to date
• Keep your browser and OS updated
• Activate your computer's firewall
• Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software
• Check your security settings
• Don't allow your browser to store passwords

Dennis: We recommend you do some other things as well. Keep your computer up to date. Keep your web browser and operating system updated and activate the computer firewall. Old software and browsers can be susceptible to attack. Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software on all platforms: Windows, Apple and mobile devices. Check your security settings on applications and web browsers and make sure they are strong. Never allow your browser to store your passwords.

Close-up shot of address bar on Schwab.com

Dennis: Verify you're on a secure website. When you login to a Schwab website, check the address bar for site validity. A green bar shows that you're on the authentic Schwab site.

Dennis Howard talking to camera.

Dennis: Only download Schwab apps from the Google Play store or Apple's app store.

Montage of people working on laptops, desktops and phones

Dennis: Be cautious when you're not using your own equipment or Wi-Fi connection. If you use any public computer, clear the browser's history and cookies before leaving. Only use wireless networks you trust or that are protected. Public Wi-Fi locations can be dangerous places to connect your devices. Pay attention to security warnings that pop up and never accept software updates when connected to a public Wi-Fi.
Dennis Howard talking to camera. Split screen shows Dennis talking along with a list of talking of points:

• Be strategic with your logins and passwords
• Don't use personal information
• Create a unique password for each financial institution
• Don't share your passwords
• Activate voice I.D. or add a verbal password
• Consider two-factor authentication 

Dennis: When it comes to your login credentials and passwords, be strategic. Don't use personal information such as birthday or social security number as part of your login ID. It's important to create a unique password for each financial institution you do business with and change it every 6 months. And don't share your passwords. Consider activating voice ID or adding verbal password to Schwab account for an extra layer of security when you call us. You can also consider using a one-time, changing numeric passcode that can make every login at Schwab even more secure. This is what's known as a two-factor or multi-factor authentication.

Dennis: We now offer soClose-up shot of smart phone screenft-token delivery via mobile app, giving you the ability to use your smart phone to login. Just call us and we can enroll you in a soft mobile token.

Close-up of phishing scam email example on computer screen

Dennis: Be aware of phishing scams. These are often in the form of an urgent-sounding email where you might be encouraged to click on a link in order to update personal information. Clicking on a link could potentially take you to a malicious website where malware can infect your computer.

Dennis Howard talking to camera. Split screen shows Dennis talking along with a list of talking of points:

• Stay alert to potential phishing scams
• Illegal attempts to acquire personal information
• Urgent-sounding emails where you might be encouraged to click on a link in order to update personal information
• Confirm the email originated from Schwab
• 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 1-800-435-4000

Dennis: We provide multiple ways to verify that an email has come from Schwab. If you're ever in doubt about the authenticity of an email, just give us a call.

Dennis Howard talking to camera.

Dennis: Finally, make sure your contact information is up-to-date. In the coming months and years you'll see Schwab provide new ways of securing your transactions. And it's important that we have a way to get in touch with you quickly and efficiently. To check your current contact information, visit schwab.com/myprofile. For more information on protecting yourself, visit onguardonline.gov.

Onscreen text:

Schwab.com/myprofile

For more information on protecting yourself:

Onguardonline.gov

Dennis: If you ever suspect fraud, call us anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Thank you.

Onscreen text:

24 hours a day, seven days a week, 1-800-435-4000

Onscreen text: Charles Schwab logo

Own your tomorrow^®

©2016 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. (0515-3260)