Advantage Bank, Cambridge, Ohio, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 044172282, which is assigned to Advantage Bank. The items are labeled as "CASHIER'S CHECKS" and display the bank's name and address in the top-left corner. They have security feature statements embedded in the top border and along the bottom between two padlocks. The date, check number and amount appear in the top right.

Authentic checks display the routing number 044015543, which is assigned to Huntington National Bank, Columbus, Ohio. Advantage Bank issues its checks through Moneygram Payment Systems, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, using a payable-through account at Huntington National Bank. Authentic checks display the bank's logo in the top center and include a security statement just below the top border.

Copies of a counterfeit item and an authentic check (VOID) are attached for your review. Be aware that the appearance of counterfeit items can be modified and that additional variations may be presented.

Any information you have concerning this matter should be brought to the attention of:

Jim Miller
Director of Security
Advantage Bank
P.O. Box 700
814 Wheeling Avenue
Cambridge, Ohio 43725
Telephone: (740) 435-1368
E-mail: jmiller@advantagebank.com

Information about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents and other fraudulent activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-4004, Washington, D.C. 20429, or transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov. Questions related to federal deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's website at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2009/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Attachment (not available electronically)

NOTE: As a security precaution, the FDIC does not post to its Web site electronic images of fraudulent items or authentic checks that have been counterfeited. This is to avoid attempts by others to use these instruments to facilitate additional fraud. Financial institutions can view images of the fraudulent items and authentic checks (marked as VOID) using the FDIC's free, secure Web site, FDICconnect. (See more information about FDICconnect at http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06032.html.) Printed copies of each Special Alert and its attachment(s) may also be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center (telephone: 1-877-275-3342 or 703-562-2200; fax: 703-562-2296; or e-mail: publicinfo@fdic.gov).

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)