The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has been informed by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation that fraudulent letters appearing to be sent from that office to financial institutions are currently in circulation.

The fraudulent letter claims to provide authorization by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation for a financial transaction to take place at a particular institution. This correspondence bears a crude copy of a banner obtained from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation’s Internet Web page and also includes the names of three prominent regulatory agencies in a blatant attempt to imply legitimacy. The fraudulent letter contains the forged signatures of the Commissioner of the Office of Financial Regulation and the Director of the Division of Financial Institutions. Recipients of the letter are instructed to deposit an “instrument” into a specific account and to notify the beneficiary account holder that payment has been made.

Neither the Florida Office of Financial Regulation nor the OCC sends out instructions or authorizations to any financial institution to conduct specific transactions, including the transferring of funds.

Any information that you may have concerning this particular scam should be brought to the attention of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, [ofr@fldfs.com] or via telephone at (850) 410-9800.

Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the OCC may be forwarded to:

For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC’s anti-fraud resource at: http://www.occ.gov/topics/consumer-protection/fraud-resources/index-fraud-resources.html.

/signed/

Richard C. Stearns
Director for Enforcement & Compliance