The Foster Bank, Chicago, Illinois, 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 071006282, which is assigned to The Foster Bank, but are dissimilar to authentic checks in style. The counterfeit items do not display a logo, but display the wording "CASHIER'S CHECK" beneath the bank name in the top-right third portion of the item. In the top-left third, the counterfeit items display "REMITTER," with "FOSTER BANK, #1000646" on the next line. On the lines that follow, the counterfeit items display the names of cities where the bank operates branch offices; however, the counterfeit items incorrectly state "Arlington Height" rather than the correct "Arlington Heights," and "kedzie" rather than the correct "Kedzie."

Authentic cashier's checks display the wording "CASHIER'S CHECK" in large font in the lower-left portion of the check. The checks also display a logo of a negative image of the letter "f" across a circular shape in the top-center portion of the check. The bottom-right side of the logo displays lines; the remainder is dark shaded. A watermark of the logo appears across the center of the check. Directly beneath the logo is the bank's name. To the right of the logo are the names of cities where the bank operates branch offices.

A copy of a counterfeit item and a copy of 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:

Rosa Chun
Vice President-Operations Officer
Telephone: (773) 202-4980
Fax: (773) 736-2081
E-mail: rosa.chun@fosterbank.com

or

James G. Gorst
Senior Vice President-Chief Operating Officer
The Foster Bank
5225 North Kedzie
Chicago, Illinois 60625
Telephone: (773) 279-4905
Fax: (773) 588-2507
E-mail: james.gorst@fosterbank.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)