The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier’s checks issued in the bank’s name and using a correct routing number of 114021933 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a sweepstakes scam.

The counterfeit checks resemble the bank’s authentic items but may be identified by the following traits: the instruments are unknown in color and include the following security statement in the top border: “FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, THE FACE OF THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING IN THE BORDER.” The following security statement is printed in the bottom border between two padlock icons: “SECURITY FEATURES INCLUDED, DETAILS ON BACK.” The bank’s name “Broadway National Bank” is printed in the top-left corner of the instrument followed by the address. However, the bank’s telephone number, 210-283-6500, is missing from the check.

Items presented to date have been made payable in the amounts of $7,080.79 and $6,700.45 and have contained a purchaser name of either IMEX INC or Lester Schneiderman.

Due to possible variations between the appearance of the bank’s authentic items and the counterfeit items associated with the scam, officials of Broadway National Bank suggest they be contacted to verify authenticity of the bank’s cashier’s checks if received by an unknown entity.

Correspondence accompanying the counterfeit checks may contain the letterhead of “Australian Sweepstakes Marking and Airmiles Promotion Inc., Suite 1106-230 Government Street, Victoria, BC V8W 3Y8, Canada, 1-604-345-5590; 1-504-349-7353. The correspondence informs the recipient that he or she has been selected as a winner in a sweepstakes drawing. The letter states that the check is to be used to pay the applicable processing fees, legal fees, insurance and delivery fees, and federal taxes. Recipients are advised to contact claims manager Kevin Johnson at 1-604-345-5590, 1-604-7353, or 1-604-349-8998.

For additional information and guidance, and to verify the authenticity of Broadway National Bank’s cashier’s checks, please contact Debi Rice, Loss Prevention Officer, Broadway national Bank, 1177 NE Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78209, by telephone at (210) 283-5602, by fax at (210) 283-5729, or via e-mail at [drice@broadwaybank.com].

Consumers who receive a counterfeit or fictitious item and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC’s Web site at www.ftc.gov.
  
  
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian scams): by telephone at 1-888-495-8501 or via e-mail at [info@phonebusters.com]. Their Web site, www.phonebusters.com, provides additional contact numbers.
  
  
• Better Business Bureau (BBB) – The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States, and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers. The international Web site www.bbb.org offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than two million businesses, consumer scam alerts, and tips on a wide variety of topics that help consumers find trustworthy businesses and make wise purchasing decisions.
  
  
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center (scams that may have originated via the Internet) at www.ic3.gov.
  
  
• If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal Inspector Service by telephone at 1-888-877-7644, by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100, or via e-mail at postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx.

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

Related Links

• For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource.