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Alert 2014-32 | October 30, 2014

Counterfeit Cashier's Checks: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks of Fort Sill National Bank, Fort Sill, Okla.

To

Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks and Federal Savings Associations; All State Banking Authorities; Chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (Districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsels; and All Examining Personnel

The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier’s checks using a correct routing number of 103112675 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a mystery shopping scam.

The counterfeit checks resemble the bank’s authentic checks, but the counterfeit items may be identified by the following traits:

  • The checks contain a blue marbled background with a darker-blue banner.
  • The following security statement appears in the top border of the check: “To Verify Authenticity, See Reverse Side for Description of the 11 Security Features.”
  • The branch appears as “2035.”
  • The check numbers are in the 970000 series.

Counterfeit checks presented to date have been made payable in amounts between $1,700 and $4,850 and have contained a variety of remitter names, including Paul Wood, Dianne North, Tamara Wittel, and Corey Powell.

Correspondence related to the scam contains the contact information for James Smith, including an email address of [jamessmithevaluatesecretshoppe@gmail.com] and a telephone number for text messages only of (623) 201-3059.

The correspondence instructs the recipient to deposit the check into his or her bank account and then within 24 hours withdraw the funds to purchase three Green Dot Reloadable MoneyPak cards. Following the purchase, the recipient is to email the pin numbers found on the cards to the email address noted in the preceding paragraph.

For additional information and to verify the authenticity of cashier’s checks drawn on Fort Sill National Bank, please contact Security Officer Wynona L. Cook by mail at PO Box 33009, Fort Sill, OK 73503; by telephone at (800) 749-4583, ext. 3824; by fax at (580) 354-3874; or by email at wynona.cook@fsnb.com.

Consumers who receive counterfeit or fictitious items and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:

  • U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General (OIG): by telephone at (800) 359-3898 or by visiting the OIG website.
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at (877) FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC's website.
  • National Consumers League (NCL): by telephone at (202) 835-3323 or by email. To file a fraud complaint, visit the NCL fraud website.
  • Better Business Bureau (BBB): The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers. The website offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than 2 million businesses, consumer scam alerts, and tips on a wide variety of topics that help consumers find trustworthy businesses and make wise purchasing decisions.
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (to report scams that may have originated via the internet).
  • If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by telephone at (888) 877-7644; by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100; or via the online complaint form.

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.

Ellen M. Warwick
Director for Enforcement and Compliance