The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier’s checks issued in the bank’s name and using a correct routing number of 091302979 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a lottery scam.

Counterfeit items closely resemble the authentic checks but may be identified by the following: The bank’s telephone numbers of (701) 575-8282 and (701) 483-8282 are not included in the top-center portion of the instruments. In addition, the counterfeit items do not include the watermark or thermochromic icon. Items presented to date have been made payable in the amount of $4,875 and contain a remitter’s name of either Sandra Pattel or Karen Collins.

Correspondence accompanying these checks contains the letterhead of either “Pathway Financial LTD, 25 Baker Street, London, England, W1U 3DS, UK” or “Anchor Trust Financial, 209 Bishopsgate, Towers Hamlets, London EC2M, United Kingdom.” The letter informs the recipient that he or she has been chosen as a winner in a drawing. The letter further states that the recipient has three weeks to claim his or her prize by contacting Kevin Jacobs or Kim Walters at 011-44-7574-200-742. The accompanying check is purported to cover the federal and international clearance fees. 

For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of Great Plains National Bank’s cashier’s checks, please contact Bruce D. Baer, Senior Vice President, by mail at P.O. Box 248, Belfield, ND 58622; by telephone at (701) 575-8282; by fax at (701) 575-8525; or via e-mail at [bbaer@greatplainsnationalbank.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 (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 (888) 495-8501 or via e-mail at [info@phonebusters.com]. Its 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 2 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 Crime 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 Inspection Service by telephone at (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 https://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:

For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC’s anti-fraud resource at: http://www.occ.treas.gov/fraudresources.htm.

Richard C. Stearns
Director for Enforcement and Compliance