Earlham Savings Bank, West Des Moines, Iowa, 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 073921158, which is assigned to Earlham Savings Bank, but are dissimilar to authentic cashier's checks. On the counterfeit items, "***CASHIER'S CHECK***" is printed in the top center above an account number, and the bank's name, city, state and zip code are printed in the upper-left corner above a telephone number, which is not associated with the bank. A memo line is located on the lower-left side of the counterfeit items.

Authentic checks bear the words "CASHIERS CHECK" in the lower-left corner. "E BANK" and "Earlham Saving Bank" are printed in the top-center portion of the checks between the name of the issuing branch office (above) and the address of the issuing branch office (below).

Copies of a counterfeit item and an authentic cashier's check (VOID) are attached for your review.

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

Russell Asman
Assistant Vice President
Earlham Savings Bank
7300 Lake Drive
West Des Moines, IA 50266
Phone: (515) 223-4753
FAX: (515) 225-3298

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.

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)