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Alert 2007-18 | March 22, 2007
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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
Metropolitan National Bank has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks issued in the name of Bank of Kimberling City and using a routing number of 081502886 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a variety of Internet purchase scams.
The Bank of Kimberling City was acquired by and merged into Metropolitan National Bank in 2004. At that time, all official bank items bearing the name of Bank of Kimberling City were retired. As such, any item presented bearing the name of Bank of Kimberling City is counterfeit and should not be negotiated.
Items presented to date have been made payable in varying amounts from $3,500 to $5,600, have contained serial numbers 174337 through 174433, and include remitter names of John Powell, Jones Martins, Stephen Jones, or John Smith. Information contained on the check may either be typed or handwritten.
The fraudsters are responding to classified ads posted on the Internet by potential victims and agreeing to purchase the merchandise advertised. Within a day of responding to the ad, the fraudster sends the seller a check for an amount greater than the agreed-upon purchase price. The check is sent via overnight courier or regular mail and may originate out of Canada. The seller is then instructed to deposit the check into their bank account, deduct the money for the sale of the item, and wire the difference to a third party, generally located in another country. The third party is classified by the fraudster as the shipping company responsible for picking up and shipping the merchandise. Once the funds are wired, the fraudster is never heard from again. The check is returned as counterfeit, and the victim is left liable for the entire loss.
For additional information and guidance regarding Bank of Kimberling City's cashier's checks, please contact Alicia Yount, BSA/Security Officer, Metropolitan National Bank, 600 S. Glenstone, PO Box 3840, Springfield, MO 65802, by telephone at (417) 862-2022, by fax at (417) 862-9964, or via email at [ayount@metronationalbank.com].
Consumers who receive counterfeit or fictitious items and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:
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.
/signed/
Richard C. Stearns Director for Enforcement & Compliance
