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Alert 2014-27 | September 4, 2014

Counterfeit Cashier's Checks: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks of the American National Bank of Texas, Terrell, Texas

To

Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks and Federal Savings Associations; All State Banking Authorities; Chair, 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 Counsels; and All Examining Personnel

The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier’s checks using a correct routing number of 111901519 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a mystery shopping scam.

The counterfeit checks resemble the bank’s authentic checks; the counterfeit items, however, may be identified by the following traits:

  • The checks contain a light-blue background with a brighter blue security notice in the top border that reads “WARNING: THIS DOCUMENT HAS SECURITY FEATURES IN THE PAPER.”
  • The bank’s Website address is missing from the logo in the top-left corner.
  • The words “Security Features” appear along the right border along with a padlock icon.
  • The word “surety” in the “Notice to Customers” appears in lower case.

Counterfeit checks presented to date have been made payable in varying amounts between $1,240 and $3,870. The counterfeit checks contain a variety of remitter names and include a branch number of 1006 and an originator code of B47SAMHAI.

The correspondence related to the mystery shopping scam is attached to this alert and is signed by William McKnight and contains email addresses of [willmcknight0@yahoo.com], [mcknight.surveygroup@yahoo.com], and [mcknight.surveygroup@outlook.com].

The attached correspondence provides instructions for the mystery shopping assignment. Recipients are assigned to evaluate a retail store of their choice that sells Green Dot Money Pak cards. Once the Money Pak Cards are purchased, the 14-digit numbers are to be immediately scanned and sent to the email addresses listed above. Additionally, the correspondence requests that recipients purchase a cashier’s check from their own financial institutions in the amount of $20 and have it made payable to a bogus charity called “The Orphan Coalition.” The check is then to be scanned to the email addresses provided above. These checks will be used in future counterfeit scams.

For additional information and to verify the authenticity of cashier’s checks drawn on the American National Bank of Texas, please contact the bank’s fraud department by mail at P.O. Box 40, Terrell, TX 75160; by telephone at (800) 837-6584; or by fax at (214) 863-6647.

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

  • U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General (OIG): by telephone at (800) 359-3898 or by visiting the OIG website.
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at (877) FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC's website.
  • National Consumers League (NCL): by telephone at (202) 835-3323 or by email. To file a fraud complaint, visit the NCL fraud website.
  • 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 website 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 Internet Crime Complaint Center (to report scams that may have originated via the internet).
  • 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 the online complaint form.

Additional information concerning this matter that should be brought to the attention of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) may be forwarded to

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Special Supervision Division
400 7th St. SW, Suite 3E-218; MS 8E-12
Washington, DC 20219
Phone: (202) 649-6450
Fax: (571) 293-4925
www.occ.gov
occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov

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

 

Ellen M. Warwick
Director for Enforcement and Compliance

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