Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), U.S.A.: Alert Nos. 2008-15 and 2008-16

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OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR SUPERVISION AND EXAMINATION SECTOR

CIRCULAR LETTER NO.: CL-2008- 016

To ALL BANKS

Subject: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), U.S.A.: Alert Nos. 2008-15 and 2008-16

of fictitious official checks of the First National Bank, Graford, TX, and counterfeit cashier's checks of Merchants National Bank, Hillsboro, OH, respectively. The fictitious/counterfeit checks were said to have been used in scams reported in the United States. The Occ Alerts include short descriptions of the checks and the modus operandi used in the scarns. Alert Nos. 2008-15 and 2008-16 both dated 29 February 2008 on the subiect The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas received from the OCC copies of OCC

ensure that their offices and/or facilties are not used in any attempt to negotiate these fictitious/counterfeit checks in the country. Banks are also advised to report to the appropriate law enforcement agency/ies or provide additional information to the agencies named in the notices, incidents concerning these checks. Banks are advised to take necessary precautionary measures to

Attached for your guidance are copies of the said Occ notices.

D

NESTOR A. HSPENILLA. 1

Deputy Governor

O{ April 2008

Atts: AS

PANAnALAPinG MAtAtAg, BAnSAng PAnatAg

A. Mabini St., Malate 1004, Manila, Phifippines Trunkline (632) 524-70-11 t*.i. e-mail: [email protected]. ph

ALERT 2008-15

OCC ALERT

Administrator of Nationa! Banks Comptrolier of the Currency

Subject: Fictitious Official Checks Description: First National Bank, Graford

TO: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Deposit Insurance Corporation; Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; Conference of Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal

State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Cormptrollers: District Counsel; and All Examining Personnel

RE: Fictitious Official Checks of First National Bank, Graford, Graford, TX

name and using the bank's correct routing number of 111910762 are being presented for The above-named bank has reported that fictitious official checks issued in the bank's

payment nationwide in connection with a mystery shopping scam.

appearance between the bank's official items and scams, it is suggested that officials of the First National Bank, Graford, be contacted to verify authenticity of any of the bank's These items are fictitious, as the First National Bank, Graford, does not issue official checks. Checks presented to date have been made payable in the amounts of $3,875 and official items, if received from an unknown or questionable source. $3,940 and may include a remitter name of "CSs." Due to possible variations in

SHOPPING SOLUTIONS, PO Box 4800, Wildwood, NJ 08280, Tel: 1-905-920-6988 Fax: 1-888-380-8459." Note that the telephone number provided originates out of The mystery shopper correspondence may contain the Ietterhead of "COMPARISON Hamilton, Ontario. The correspondence informs the recipient that he or she has been selected to be a secret shopper for the company. It explains that the enclosed 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 by a specific dollar amount, with the shopper being allotted the remaining funds as payment for their mystery shopper service. The letter may be signed by Cathy Bradley.

letterhead of "G&M Research Services,P.O. Box 7895,New York,NY 10040: Fax: 1 Another mystery shopper letter in circulation with this particular scam may contain the

Newsman. 866-291-4199; Tel: 1-778-316-1597." Note that the telephone number provided in this correspondence originates out of British Columbia. This letter may be signed by James

For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of the First National Bank, Graford, official items, please contact Cindy Singleton, Assistant

Date: February 29, 2008 Page I of 2

9821 or by fax at (940) 325-3871. Cashier/Operations, P.O. Box 580, Mineral Wells, TX 76068, by telephone at (940) 3251

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

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or, for filing a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian scams): by telephone at 1-888-495-8501 or via e-mail at [[email protected]]. Their Web site, www.phonebusters.com, Better Business Bureau (BBB) --- The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada. provides additional contact numbers. Puerto Rico, and the United States and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust complaint electronically, via the FTC's Internet site at www.ftc.gov. between businesses and consumer offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than two million businesses. co im alerts, and tips on a wide variety of topics that help The international Web site http://www.bbb.org

consumers find trustw T sses and make wise purchasing decisions.

If correspondence is Federal Bureau of Inv https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx_. Inspector Service by telephone at 1-888-877-7644, by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection may have originated via the Intern Service, Office of Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside PIaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100, or via e-mail at eived via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal ation (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center (scams that et) at http://www.ic3.gov.

Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the OCC may be forwarded to:

E-mail: [email protected] Mail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Fax: (202) 874-5214 250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC20219 Special Supervision Division, MS 6-4

Internet: http://www.occ.treas.gov

For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource at: http://www.occ.treas.gov/fraudresources.htm

Director for Enforcement & Compliance Richard C. Stearns

Date: February 29, 2008 Page 2 of 2

ALERT 2008-16

OCC ALERT

Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks

Subject: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks Description: Merchants National Bank

TO: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities;

State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; Conference of District Counsel; and All Examining Personnel

RE: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks of Merchants National Bank, Hillsboro, OH

name and using the bank's correct routing number of 042205009 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with an Internet-based overpayment scam. The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks issued in the bank's

such, the counterfeit items have no distinguishing features. It is suggested that officials The counterfeit items are exact replications of the bank's authentic cashier's check. As of Merchants National Bank be contacted to verify authenticity of any of the bank's official items, if received from an unknown or questionable source.

For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of Merchants National Bank's cashier's checks, please contact Linda Siders, VP/Cashier, 100 N. High Street, Hillsboro, OH 45133,by telephone at (937) 393-1993, by fax at (937) 393-9425 or via e-mail at [[email protected]].

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

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC's Internet site at www.ftc.gov

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center (scams that Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian scams): by telephone at 1-888-495-8501 Better Business Bureau (BBB) -- The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada. or via e-mail at [[email protected]]. Their Web site, www.phonebusters.com. Puerto Rico, and the United States and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers. The international Web site http://www.bbb.org offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than two million businesses, consumer scam alerts, and tips on a wide variety of topics that help consumers find trustworthy businesses and make wise purchasing decisions. may have originated via the Internet) at http://www.ic3.gov. provides additional contact numbers.

Date: February 29, 2008 Page 1 of 2

If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Inspector Service by telephone at 1-888-877-7644, by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100, or via e-mail at https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx.c

attention of the OCC.may be forwarded to: Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the

E-mail: [email protected] Mail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Internet: http://www.occ.treas.gov Fax: 250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC20219 (202) 874-5214 Special Supervision Division, MS 6-4

For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource at: http://www.occ.treas.gov/fraudresources.htm.

Richard C. Stearns Director for Enforcement & Compliance

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Date: February 29, 2008 Page 2 of 2