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Alert 2017-9 | October 18, 2017

Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks: Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks of American National Bank of Texas, Terrell, TX

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 at least six variations of counterfeit cashier’s checks using a correct routing number of 111901519 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a secret shopper scam.

The counterfeit checks are of unknown color, and variations 1-5 contain a branch number of 1023. The checks may be identified by the following traits:

Variation No. 1

  • The check contains a dark top border with the following security statement: “TO VERIFY AUTHENTICITY, SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR DESCRIPTION OF THE 13 SECURITY FEATURES.”
  • The words Cashier’s Check are located in the top center portion of the check.
  • The abbreviated routing number appears as “88-151/1119” above the date in the upper right portion of the check.
  • The remitter line is located in the bottom left portion of the check and may include the name of Franklin Cornerstone.
  • The authorized signature appears as Steven Burnett.

Variation No. 2

  • The check contains a dark top border with the following security statement: “THIS DOCUMENT HAS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING. THE REVERSE SIDE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK.”
  • The words Cashier’s Check are located in the top center portion of the check.
  • The abbreviated routing number appears as “88-151/1119” above the date in the upper right portion of the check.
  • The remitter line is located in the bottom left portion of the check and may include the names of Sean Cornerstone or Donald Cornerstone.
  • The authorized signature may appear as either Nathan Alaniz or Elisa Andrews.

Variation No. 3

  • The check contains the following security statement within the top border: “WARNING. THIS DOCUMENT HAS SECURITY FEATURES IN THE PAPER.”
  • The words Cashier’s Check are located in the top center portion of the check.
  • The abbreviated routing number appears as “88-151/1119” above the date in the upper right portion of the check.
  • The remitter line is located in the bottom left portion of the check and may include the name of Amy Coates.
  • The authorized signature may appear as Elisa Andrews.

Variation No. 4

  • The check contains a dark top border with the following security statement: “TO VERIFY AUTHENTICITY, SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR DESCRIPTION OF THE 13 SECURITY FEATURES.”
  • The abbreviated routing number appears as “88-151/1119” above the date in the upper right portion of the check.
  • The remitter name appear as either Amy Huggins or Cristina Mindy Huggins.
  • A thumbprint heat-sensitive shield is located in the bottom center portion of the check.
  • The authorized signature may appear as either Chris Cooper or Beth Q. Wilfong.

Variation No. 5

  • The check contains a dark top border with the following security statement: “THIS DOCUMENT HAS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING. THE REVERSE SIDE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK.”
  • The abbreviated routing number appears as “88-151/1119” above the date in the upper right portion of the check.
  • The authorized signature may appear as Rhonda Dalunga.
  • The remitter name may appear as Andy Huggins.

Variation No. 6

  • The check contains a dark top border with the following security statement: “WARNING. THIS DOCUMENT HAS SECURITY FEATURES IN THE PAPER.”
  • The branch number appears as 1006 and is printed directly below the words Cashier’s Check.
  • The date appears as YYYYMMDD below the branch number.
  • The payable name and amount sections are underscored.
  • The check contains a “REF” section in the bottom left portion of the check, which may include the name of Mickel McRoelvink.
  • The authorized signature is indistinguishable.

All checks presented to date have been made payable in varying amounts from $2,475 to $3,000.

Correspondence accompanying the counterfeit checks may include the name of Justin Cornerstone from Interactive Customer Evaluation Services. Contact information may include a telephone number of (469) 406-1366 and an email address of [jcornerstone@usa.com].

For additional information and to verify the authenticity of cashier’s checks drawn on American National Bank of Texas, please contact the bank’s fraud department by mail at PO Box 40, Terrell, TX 75160, by telephone at (214) 863-6911, or by fax at (214) 863-6647.

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.

 

Charles M. Steele
Deputy Chief Counsel

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