The Milford Bank, Milford, Connecticut, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit checks bearing the institution's routing number and a similar name are reportedly in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 211170211, which is assigned to The Milford Bank, but are dissimilar to authentic checks. The counterfeit items display "Cashier's Check" in the top center, just below the wording "THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS SECURITY FEATURES. SEE REVERSE." A telephone number, which is not associated with the bank, appears in the upper-left corner below "Milford Savings Bank" and the correct bank address.

Authentic checks display "OFFICIAL CHECK" in the bottom center. The checks also display the routing number 096016765, which is assigned to U.S. Bank, St. Paul, Minnesota. The Milford Bank issues checks through MoneyGram Payment Systems, using an account at U.S. Bank. The following statements are embedded in the top border: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK PRINTED ON THE BACK. THE FRONT OF THE DOCUMENT HAS A MICRO-PRINT SIGNATURE LINE. ABSENCE OF THESE FEATURES WILL INDICATE A COPY." The bank's logo appears in the upper-left corner, with "THE MILFORD BANK" printed below it. The following statement is displayed in the top center: "NOTICE: In the event this check is lost or stolen, an affidavit of loss and indemnity agreement may be required before a replacement is issued. An indemnity bond for twice the amount may be required." The following is displayed on three lines in the upper-right corner: "ISSUED BY: MONEYGRAM PAYMENT SYSTEMS, INC., P.O. BOX 9476 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55480, DRAWEE: US BANK, ST. PAUL, MN."

Copies of a counterfeit item and an authentic check (VOID) are attached for your review. Be aware that the appearance of counterfeit items can be modified and that additional variations may be presented.

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

Ric Biroscak
Security Officer
The Milford Bank
33 Broad Street
Milford, Connecticut 06460
Telephone: (203) 783-5700
Fax: (203) 783-5755
E-mail: rbiroscak@milfordbank.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.

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)