| RE: |
Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks of The Stephenson National Bank & Trust, Marinette, WI
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 e-mail, the counterfeit checks have generally been sent to the recipient via a private overnight courier service. Contact information contained within the fictitious e-mails may include one of the following:
Payment Notification E-mail – Mrs. Elizabeth Jame, Remittance Manager, Halifax Bank Plc, +44 7024013922, e-mail: [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 E-mail – Doris Peter Staffing and Recruiting Department, e-mail: [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 e-mail at [laura.phelps@snbt.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, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100, or via e-mail at http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm.
·
If correspondence is received via e-mail, forward the scam e-mail as an attachment to the sender’s e-mail provider’s abuse center to report the abuse. Ensure that the scammer’s message is attached with its headers. Alert the provider that the e-mail address is being used to solicit illegal activities and that it should be shut down. Most providers have specific abuse mailboxes set up to handle such problems. Examples include: [abuse@yahoo.com], [uk-mail-abuse@yahoo-inc.com] and [abuse@hotmail.com].
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
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Fax: |
(202) 874-5214 |
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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
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