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

Hampden Bank, Springfield, Massachusetts, 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 211870977, which is assigned to Hampden Bank, formerly known as Hampden Savings Bank, Springfield, Massachusetts. The counterfeit items are dissimilar to authentic official checks in style, font and layout. 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:

Edward J. Kuchyt
Assistant Vice President and Security Officer
Hampden Bank
19 Harrison Avenue
Springfield, Massachusetts 01103
Telephone: (413) 736-1812
Fax: (413) 747-7427
ekuchyt@hampdenbank.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 website 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.

Attachment (not available electronically)

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).