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Special Alerts

SA-29-2006
February 9, 2006


TO: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (also of interest to Security Officer)
SUBJECT: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks
Summary: Counterfeit cashier's checks drawn on UniBank for Savings, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, are reportedly in circulation.

UniBank for Savings, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

UniBank for Savings does not issue cashier's checks. Instead, UniBank for Savings issues treasurer's checks through the Integrated Payments Systems, Inc., Englewood, Colorado, with the corresponding account held at Citibank, N.A., Buffalo, New York. The counterfeit items display the routing number 211372378, which is assigned to UniBank for Savings. Authentic treasurer's checks display the routing number 022000868, which is assigned to Citibank, N.A.

The counterfeit items are dissimilar to authentic checks in style. The counterfeit items display the bank's address in the top-center portion of the item and do not display a logo.

Authentic checks display the bank's logo consisting of an oval overlaid on the bank's name, followed by "Whitinsville, Massachusetts 01588." The logo and location are displayed in the top-left corner of the authentic treasurer's check. Authentic checks also display a scroll border, and the wording "TREASURER'S CHECK" is embedded in a box within the top border.

A copy of a counterfeit item and a copy of an authentic treasurer's check (VOID) are attached for your review.

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

Sandra J. Tauson
Security and Compliance Assistant
UniBank for Savings
49 Church Street
Whitinsville, Massachusetts 01588
Telephone: (508) 234-8112, Extension 3219
Fax: (508) 234-4648
Sandy.tauson@unibank.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 website 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.

Christopher J. Spoth
Acting Director
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection

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, 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)




Last Updated 02/09/2006 communications@fdic.gov

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