Alert 2008-16

ALERT 2008-16
OCC ALERT

Comptroller of the Currency
Administrator of National Banks

Subject:

Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks

Description:

Merchants National Bank

Date: February 29, 2008

TO:

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

RE:

Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks of Merchants National Bank, Hillsboro, OH

The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier’s checks issued in the bank’s 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 counterfeit items are exact replications of the bank’s authentic cashier’s check. As such, the counterfeit items have no distinguishing features. It is suggested that officials 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 [lsiders@merchantsnat.com].

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

· 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.

· Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian Scams): by telephone at 1-888-495-8501 or via e-mail at [info@phonebusters.com]. Their Web site, www.phonebusters.com, provides additional contact numbers.

· Better Business Bureau – The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States, and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers. The international Web site (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.

· Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center (Scams that may have originated via the Internet) at www.ic3.gov

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

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

E-mail: 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: 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.

/signed/

Richard C. Stearns
Director for Enforcement & Compliance