Each depositor insured to at least $250,000 per insured bank

Chinatrust Bank (U.S.A.), Torrance, California, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 122210406, which is assigned to Chinatrust Bank (U.S.A.). The counterfeit items are very similar to authentic checks. However, the logo on the counterfeit items is rectangular, while the logo on authentic checks is circular and contains the wording "We are Family." The counterfeit items display "(U.S.A.)" on the second line of the bank's name and location, while authentic checks display the letters after Chinatrust Bank. The counterfeit items and authentic checks both display the bank location as "City of Industry, CA 91748." A copy of a counterfeit item and an authentic official check (VOID) are attached for your review.

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

Ivy Hu Tran
First Vice President
Chinatrust Bank (U.S.A.)
22939 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance, California 90505
Telephone: (310) 791-2828, extension 247
Fax: (310) 791-2880
itran@chinatrustusa.com

Information about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents and other fraudulent activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-4004, Washington, D.C. 20429, or transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov. Information related to federal deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2005/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)

NOTE: As a security precaution, the FDIC does not post to its Web site online copies of fraudulent instruments or copies of the genuine instruments that have been counterfeited. This is to avoid attempts by others to use the electronic versions of these instruments to facilitate additional fraud. Printed copies of fraudulent instruments are mailed with the Special Alert letter to the financial institutions on the letter's distribution list (generally, FDIC-supervised banks - commercial and savings). Printed copies of the Special Alert and its attachment(s) may also be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (telephone: 1-877-275-3342 or (703) 562-2200; fax: (703) 562-2296; or e-mail: publicinfo@fdic.gov).