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Alert 2008-7 | February 1, 2008
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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 075901011 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a variety of up-front fee scams.
While some of the counterfeit checks may be similar to the authentic items, counterfeit items may be identified by the following traits: checks may be yellow-orange or burgundy in color, do not contain the appropriate bank telephone number of (715) 732-1732, and may include a handwritten date and/or "payable to" information. Items presented to date have been made payable for varying amounts from $2,845 to $6,500.
Due to possible variations in appearance of the bank's cashier's checks and scams, it is suggested that officials of The Stephenson National Bank & Trust be contacted to verify the authenticity of any of the bank's official items, if received from an unknown or questionable source.
The checks are being distributed as part of various up-front fee scams, including overpayment on Internet purchases and house rentals as well as pre-payment of taxes and fees associated with job offers and other bogus contractual obligations. While the scams may be initiated via email, the counterfeit checks have generally been sent to the recipient via a private overnight courier service. Contact information contained within the fictitious emails may include one of the following:
Payment Notification Email – Mrs. Elizabeth Jame, Remittance Manager, Halifax Bank Plc, +44 7024013922, email: [elizarjame@inbox.com] or [jdd121@hd21juk1uk.net]. Recipients of this message are instructed to deposit a check into their bank account and then wire-transfer the proceeds in order to pay for a variety of taxes and fees so that a larger dollar amount may be released.
Job Opening Email – Doris Peter Staffing and Recruiting Department, email: [dorispeter2000562@gmail.com]. The recipient of this message is asked to deposit customer payment checks into their personal bank account and then wire transfer 90 percent of the total amount to a location generally outside of the United States. Recipients are instructed to retain 10 percent as their payment.
For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of The Stephenson National Bank & Trust cashier's checks, please contact Laura Phelps, Assistant Cashier/Bookkeeping Supervisor, 1820 Hall Avenue, Marinette, WI 54143, by telephone at (715) 735-2376, by fax at (715) 732-1327, or via email at [laura.phelps@snbt.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.
Richard C. Stearns Director for Enforcement & Compliance
