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Alert 2008-4 | January 28, 2008
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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 031307125 are being presented nationwide in connection with both a lottery scam and a mystery shopping scam.
While counterfeit items strongly resemble the authentic items, they may be identified by the following traits: checks may be pink in color and contain the following security statement in the top border: “FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, THE FACE OF THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING IN THE BORDER.” The bank’s logo is navy blue in color, and the check number is printed in black. The bottom center portion of the check contains the following statement printed between two padlock icons: “SECURITY FEATURES INCLUDED. DETAILS ON BACK.”
Items presented to date have been made payable in the amounts of $3,850 and $4,850 and may be dated January 4, 2008, or January 14, 2008.
Correspondence accompanying the lottery scam checks may contain the letterhead of “Security Capital Trust Financial, P.O. Box 266, Jersey City, NJ 07307-0226, 1-905-462-1363; fax: 1-866-544-7540.” The letter alerts the recipient that he or she is the winner of an unclaimed lottery prize. The letter further states that the enclosed check is to be used to pay the local taxes and administrative fees. The recipient is instructed to contact, by a specific date, claim agent Robert Elliot at 1-905-462-1363 for further instructions. Note that this telephone number originates in Milton, Ontario. The letter may be signed by David Abrams, Reward Claims Specialist.
Correspondence accompanying the mystery shopping scam checks may contain the letterhead of “Money-Op Marketing Corporation, www.money-op.com, 3595 Rider Trail, South Earth City, MO 63045, tel: 1-905-598-1213, Fax: 1-866-291-4199.” The letter may be signed by Patrick Logan, Director Human Resources. The correspondence informs the recipient that he or she has been pre-qualified to be a secret shopper for the company. It is explained that the enclosed cashier’s check is to be used to purchase merchandise at various nationally known merchants as well as to transfer money using a nationally known wire service. The funds to be spent at each location are broken down with a specific dollar amount, with the shopper being allotted the remaining funds as payment for his or her mystery-shopper service. Recipients are instructed to fax a completed acceptance form before depositing the check. The letter states that the recipient will then be instructed to wire money to one of several persons located in various cities, including one in Canada.
For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of First Keystone National Bank’s cashier’s checks, please contact Lee A. Hess, Security Officer, 111 West Front Street, Berwick, PA 18603, by telephone at (570) 752-3671, x141, by fax at (570) 752-4022, or via email at [lhess@fknbank.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
