Alert 2004-10 | March 30, 2004

Unauthorized Banking: Investment Bank of Austria – Fictitious Internet Bank

To

Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsel and Examining Personnel

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has been advised by the Finanzmarktaufsicht–Financial Market Authority of Austria (FMA) that the Investment Bank of Austria has not been granted a banking license by Austrian authorities, and the entity is not authorized to conduct banking business in Austria. The FMA also states that the company is not located at the listed address or any other known location in Austria. The contact information listed on the subject entity's website contains a street address in St. Paul, Minnesota, and lists nonworking telephone and facsimile numbers.

Please be advised that neither the OCC nor the state of Minnesota has authorized the subject entity to operate as a bank or federal branch in the United States.

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

Mail:	Finanzmarktaufsicht Praterstrasse 23 A-1020 Vienna, Austria
Fax:	(43) 1-24-959-4399
Internet:	www.fma.gv.at/en/

and

Mail:	Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Enforcement & Compliance Division, MS 8-10 250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219
Fax:	(202) 874-5301
Internet:	http://www.occ.gov
Email:	occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov

Brian C. McCormally
Director
Enforcement & Compliance Division

Topic(s):

Unauthorized Banking