The Bank of the Pacific, Aberdeen, Washington, 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 125107707, which is assigned to The Bank of the Pacific, but are dissimilar in appearance to authentic checks. The counterfeit items display the bank's logo, name and a Bellingham, Washington, address in the upper-left corner. "CASHIER'S CHECK" is printed in the top center, and a box on the right side contains the following notations: "DATE, CHECK NO., AMOUNT." The following statement is printed in the top border: "THE DOCUMENT HAS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING. THE REVERSE SIDE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK."

Authentic checks display the bank's logo, name, a Bellingham, Washington, address and a telephone number in the top center below "Original Financial Instrument." "CASHIER'S CHECK" is printed in the lower-left corner. Below the dollars amount line is the statement: "This document has a multi-colored background, a micro-print signature line, and a holographic foil title, absence of these features will indicate a copy." Authentic checks have ornate borders on all sides.

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

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

Jerry Phillips
Assistant Vice President/Risk Manager
The Bank of the Pacific
Phone: (360) 642-5524 Extension 2251
Fax: (360) 642-3423
E-mail: Alert@thebankofthepacific.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)