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Special Alerts

SA-141-2006
May 15, 2006


TO: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (also of interest to Security Officer)
SUBJECT: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks
Summary: Counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the name North Valley Bank, Redding, California, are reportedly in circulation.

North Valley Bank, Redding, California, 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 include the routing number 121132394, which is assigned to North Valley Bank, and are relatively similar to authentic checks. However, the counterfeit items display "remitter" in lower-case lettering below the "Pay To The Order Of" box. Also, the routing number is inside of the check border, and the following security statement is embedded in the top border: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS A SECURITY COLOR BACKGROUND ON FACE AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENT SECURITY SCREEN ON BACK WITH PADLOCK SECURITY ICON."

Authentic cashier’s checks display the following statement embedded in the top border: "DO NOT CASH THIS CHECK UNLESS YOU CAN SEE THE WORDS 'CHECK PROTECT’ ON REVERSE SIDE." The following statement is embedded in the bottom border: "WARNING: ORIGINAL DOCUMENT HAS AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK ON REVERSE SIDE." The routing number is displayed outside of the border of the check.

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:

Margie West
Vice President Corporate Operations Officer Center
North Valley Bank
300 Park Marina Circle
Redding, California 96001
Telephone: (530) 226-2980
Fax: (530) 243-6868
E-mail: mwest@novb.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.

  Sandra L. Thompson
  Acting Director
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection

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)




Last Updated 05/15/2006 communications@fdic.gov

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