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Alert 2006-62 | November 3, 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 official checks issued in the bank’s name and using a fictitious routing number of 570010101 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a lottery scam.
Counterfeit items are similar to the authentic checks but can be identified by the following characteristics: counterfeit items display a fictitious account number of 001302520010001, include an incorrect Issuer name of “Travelers Express Company, Inc.,” and show the Drawer as “Webster Bank, M.A.” vs. Webster Bank, N.A.
Items presented to date have been payable in the amount of $1,950, use a 7-digit check serial number beginning with the series 212, and have been dated 10/19/06.
Due to the volume and constant variation of counterfeit official items drawn on Webster Bank, N.A., approving officials should verify the authenticity of any such check directly with Webster Bank, N.A.
Correspondence accompanying the checks may contain the letterhead of “Fidelity Assets Inc., 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 275, Akron, OH 44310” and be signed by Anthony Preston, Prize Director. Recipients are informed of their winning status and instructed to contact claims agents Brad Tines or Hillary Wilkens by telephone at 1-306-880-0588.
For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of Webster Bank, N.A.’s official checks, please contact Denise Walker, VP/Financial Investigations Unit, 145 Bank Street, Waterbury, CT 06702, by telephone at (860) 612-5657, by fax at (860) 612-5664, or via email at [dwalker@websterbank.com].
Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the OCC may be forwarded to:
Email: occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov Mail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Special Supervision Division, MS 6-4 250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219 Fax: (202) 874-5214 Internet: https://www.occ.gov
For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource page.
/signed/
Richard C. Stearns Director for Enforcement & Compliance
