The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit money orders and cashier’s checks issued in the bank’s name and using a correct routing number 031311807 are being presented nationwide for payment in connection with an Internet purchase overpayment scam

Neither the counterfeit money orders nor the counterfeit cashier’s checks resemble authentic items.

The counterfeit money orders may be identified by the following: a standard check stock of unknown color with a security strip in the top border which states: “THIS DOCUMENT HAS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING. THE REVERSE SIDE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK.” The bank name and address appear in the lower-left portion of the instrument. The items do not include the bank’s logo nor any security verbiage under the payee line.

The counterfeit cashier’s checks have a strong resemblance to the counterfeit money orders and can be identified by the following: a standard check stock, possibly light blue in color with a marbled background. The words “CASHIER’S CHECK” are located in the upper-left portion of the item followed by a remitter line. The serial number and date are located in the upper-right corner of the check, and the bank name and address appear in the lower-left portion of the instrument. Items may be presented with a remitter name of “KESER MEGAN.”

Victims of this overpayment scheme have received the counterfeit items via UPS as payment for merchandise they had personally advertised on CraigsList.com. The counterfeit items are made payable for amounts greater than the sale price of the items being purchased. The con-artist requests the victims to deposit the items into their bank accounts and immediately wire the excess funds to a third party via Western Union.

For additional information and guidance or to verify the authenticity of Peoples National Bank’s money orders, please contact Dawn Price, Bank Secrecy Act Officer, PO Box A, Hallstead, PA 18822, by telephone at (570) 879-2175, by fax at (570) 879-5113, or via e-mail at [dawnp@peoplesnatbank.com].

Consumers who receive a counterfeit item and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies: 

• 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
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center: via Internet reporting form located at www.ic3.gov
• 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.
• 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 US 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 http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm

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.