Mid-Wisconsin Bank, Medford, Wisconsin, 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 092005411, which is a pass-through account held at First Interstate Bank, Helena, MT, that is no longer used by Mid-Wisconsin Bank. The counterfeit items are not similar to authentic checks in appearance. The counterfeit items bear the bank's logo, name and address in the upper-left corner and display the words "CASHIER'S CHECK" in both the top-center area and in the lower-left corner. "PAYABLE THROUGH FIRST INTERSTATE BANK, HELENA, MT" is also printed in the lower-left corner. The bank's logo appears in the center of the counterfeit items. The following appears in the top border: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING. THE REVERSE SIDE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK."

Authentic cashier's checks display the bank's logo, name and address in the top-center area, and "CASHIER'S CHECK" appears once in the lower-left corner. Below the amount line appears the following: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS A MICRO-PRINT SIGNATURE LINE, WATERMARK AND A THERMOCHROMIC ICON: ABSENCE OF THESE FEATURES WILL INDICATE A COPY." A padlock security symbol appears to the right of the word "Dollars." Authentic items are light blue with blue borders.

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

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

Sandy Lukas
First VP Operations
Mid-Wisconsin Bank
132 W State St. PO Box 90
Medford, WI 54451
Telephone: (715) 748-8349
FAX: (715) 748-6553
E-mail: Slukas@midwisc.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)