Western Bank, St. Paul, Minnesota, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 096000661, which is assigned to Western Bank, but are dissimilar to authentic cashier's checks in appearance. The counterfeit items bear the bank's name and address on the top-left side, the words "CASHIER'S CHECK" on the top-right side, and the words "DATE" and "AMOUNT" inside rectangular boxes on the right side. The counterfeit items do not display the bank's logo.

Authentic cashier's checks display the bank's logo next to the bank's name. The phrases "Member FDIC" and "Equal Housing Lender" and the bank's address are printed in small type below the bank's name. The words "Cashiers Check" are displayed in the top-right corner. Authentic checks are printed on light-blue paper with dark-blue borders.

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:

Cheryl Grimes
Vice President/Assistant Cashier
Western Bank
1740 Rice St. Suite 3000
Maplewood, MN 55113
Phone (651) 290-8151
Fax: (651) 290-8147
Email: cgrimes@western-bank.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, 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)