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Alert 2006-11 | March 2, 2006
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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 064208437, are being presented nationwide for payment in connection with a lottery scam. The counterfeit checks are mailed to potential victims with a letter notifying the recipient that he or she and two other persons have won a drawing sponsored by the European Lottery Foundation. The letter states that the “France government” is charging a notarization and stamp duty tax; therefore, an entity known as The Royal Columbia Board of Commissions is supposedly advancing part of the winnings in the form of a cashier’s check from its U.S. bank to be deposited and then wired via Western Union to China.
While the counterfeit items have some resemblance to the authentic items, the counterfeit checks may be identified by the following: a standard check stock that is mint green in color with black print and a black logo. The instruments do not include a border, and the logo printed on the items differs slightly from the authentic logo of the bank. All of the counterfeit items presented to date contain one of three remitter names: William Collins, Robert Jennings, or Ronald Johnson. The checks may be dated 12/6/05 or 2/6/06.
Authentic cashier’s checks issued by the bank are mint green in color and contain a dark green border. All printed information on authentic checks is green in color with the exception of the bank’s logo, which is gold. The following statement appears below the payment amount line: “This document has a micro-print signature line and a watermark. Absence of these features will indicate a copy.”
For additional information and guidance or to verify the authenticity of Mountain National Bank’s cashier’s checks, please contact Elaine Ely, Vice President, Bank Operations/Security, PO Box 6519, 300 E Main Street, Sevierville, TN 37864, by telephone at (865) 908-1630, by fax at (865) 428-9103, or via email at [eely@bankmnb.com].
Email: occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov Mail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Enforcement & Compliance Division, MS 8-10 250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219 Fax: (202) 874-5301 Internet: https://www.occ.gov
For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource page.
/signed/
Brian C. McCormally Director for Enforcement & Compliance
