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Alert 2007-19 | March 23, 2007
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Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsel; and All Examining Personnel
The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks issued in the bank's name and using a correct routing number of 111902819 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a lottery scam.
While the counterfeit items have a strong resemblance to the authentic items, the counterfeit checks may be identified by the following: the instruments are of unknown color and do not contain the words "Cashier's Check" nor a Remitter section. None of the items typed on the instrument are underscored, and the checks are forged with a bank employee's name, Kimberly Wettstein.
Items presented to date have been made payable in the amount of $1,300 and contain a serial number of 69394. Due to possible variations of appearance and/or scam, it is suggested that Citizens National Bank officials be contacted to verify authenticity of the bank's official items, if received from an unknown or questionable source.
Correspondence accompanying the checks may contain the letterhead of "GAA – Global Awards Agency PowerPlay." The footer contains the following information: "The Powerball Powerplay is endorsed in: Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States." The letter alerts the recipient that he or she is the winner of an unclaimed prize from a drawing held a year ago. Recipients are urged to contact James Sullivan at the James Sullivan Law Office at 778-316-2607 (Canadian telephone number) within two weeks or the prize will be forfeited. The letter further states that the enclosed check is to be used to pay a 2 percent nonresident tax which is required by the Australian government. An attachment entitled Official Rules and Regulations US-14a is attached and contains a mailing address of PO Box 990842, Melbourne, Australia VIC/3004. The correspondence is signed by J. Wise, Managing Director.
For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of Citizens National Bank cashier's checks, please contact Jeannine Dohnalik, Citizens National Bank, 118 S. Houston, PO Drawer 111, Cameron, TX 76520, by telephone at (254) 697-6653, by fax at (254) 697-6504, or via email at [jdohnalik@cnbanktexas.com].
Consumers who receive counterfeit or fictitious items and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:
Additional information concerning this matter that should be brought to the attention of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) may be forwarded to
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Special Supervision Division 400 7th St. SW, Suite 3E-218; MS 8E-12 Washington, DC 20219 Phone: (202) 649-6450 Fax: (571) 293-4925 www.occ.gov occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov
For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resources page.
/signed/
Richard C. Stearns Director for Enforcement & Compliance
