United Community Bank, Blairsville, Georgia, 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 011007092, which is a payable-through account issued by Travelers Express drawn on Boston Safe Deposit & Trust. Although similar to authentic checks in layout and design, the counterfeit items are referred to as "CASHIER'S CHECKS"; authentic checks are "OFFICIAL CHECKS." The following is printed across the top border of the counterfeit items in a solid blue background: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS A GRADUATED BACKGROUND DARK TO LIGHT. THE REVERSE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK." Authentic official checks display the following wording across the top of the item: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK PRINTED ON THE BACK. THE FRONT OF THE DOCUMENT HAS A MICROPRINT SIGNATURE LINE. ABSENCE OF THESE FEATURES WILL INDICATE A COPY." A copy of a counterfeit item and a copy of an authentic official check (VOID) are attached for your review.

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

Linda Ammerman
Corporate Security Administrator
United Community Banks, Inc.
63 Hwy 515
Blairsville, Georgia 30512
Telephone: (706) 745-2151, Ext. 2594
Fax: (706) 745-4865
E-mail: linda_ammerman@ucbi.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.

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)