Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks: Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks of Community National Bank in Monmouth, Monmouth, Ill.

The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier’s checks using the bank’s correct routing number of 071108290 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with an online secret survey analyst/store evaluator employment opportunity scam.

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

• The checks are gray with a blue border and contain the following security statement in the top border: “WARNING: THIS DOCUMENT HAS SECURITY FEATURES IN THE PAPER.”

Checks presented to date have been made payable in amounts ranging from $1,714 to $4,850.

Potential victims of this survey scam have received correspondence accompanying the check from Brian George, Co-Ordinator LIVE SHOPPER LLC. Contact information includes an email address of [brian.george@job4u.com], telephone numbers of (650) 300-2603, (650) 314-9093, and (650) 300-7721 as well as a mailing address of Shoppers’ View, 2905 Lucerne Drive, 102D N. Street, Sacramento, CA 94273. The correspondence instructs the potential victims to confirm receipt of the material by sending a text message to one of the telephone numbers provided. The recipient is further instructed to deposit the funds at his or her financial institution and then send a text message to one of the telephone numbers to confirm that this step is complete, under the guise that the sender will “authorize the issuing bank to release the funds into [the] account within 24 hours.” The letter informs the recipient to retain $320 as payment for the assignment and to use the remaining funds for the assignment. The letter does not specify the details of the assignment but rather indicates that instructions will be provided following receipt of a text confirmation of the availability of funds. Victims of this scam have reported that the assignment includes conducting wire transfers to the perpetrators at a well-known retail store for the purported purpose of the victim’s surveying the services of the money transfer center located within the retail store.

For additional information and to verify the authenticity of cashier’s checks drawn on Community National Bank in Monmouth, please contact Jennifer Rice, BSA Officer, by mail at 311 N. Main Street, Monmouth, IL 61462, by telephone at (309) 734-5131, by fax at (309) 734-4777 or by email at j.rice@cnbmonmouth.com.

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.

Monica A. Freas
Director for Enforcement and Compliance

Related Link

• Sample Survey Analyst/Store Evaluation Correspondence (PDF)