Somerset Trust Company, Somerset, Pennsylvania, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit treasurer's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 043308691, which is assigned to Somerset Trust Company, but are not similar to authentic checks. On the counterfeit checks, "TREASURER'S CHECK" is printed in the center below the amount line, and "Somerset Trust Company – Your Bank in the Highlands" is printed in the upper-left corner with an incorrect phone number directly below the city and state. Authentic items bear the words "TREASURER'S CHECK" surrounded by a border with rounded corners in the center of the check below the amount line. Also, the bank's sun logo, along with "Somerset Trust Company – Your Bank in the Highlands" and the city, state and zip code, are located in the upper-left corner of authentic items. No phone number is displayed on authentic checks. A copy of a counterfeit check and a copy of an authentic (void) check are attached for your review.

Mike Whipkey
Somerset Trust Company
P.O. Box 777
Somerset, PA 15501-0777
Phone Number: (814) 443-9381
Fax Number: (814) 443-9220
Email: whipkey@somersettrust.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. Information 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 Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2006/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 online copies of fraudulent instruments or copies of the genuine instruments that have been counterfeited. This is to avoid attempts by others to use the electronic versions of these instruments to facilitate additional fraud. Printed copies of fraudulent instruments are mailed with the Special Alert letter to the financial institutions on the letter's distribution list (generally, FDIC-supervised banks – commercial and savings). Printed copies of the Special Alert and its attachment(s) may also be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (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)