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Special Alerts

SA-36-2006
February 23, 2006


TO: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (also of interest to Security Officer)
SUBJECT: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks
Summary: Counterfeit cashier's checks drawn on BankFIRST, Winter Park, Florida, are reportedly in circulation.

BankFIRST, Winter Park, Florida, 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 051900353, which is assigned to Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T). BankFIRST issues cashier's checks using a payable-through account at BB&T.

Various forms of counterfeit items have been reported and most are similar to authentic checks; however, some are dissimilar. Most of the counterfeit items have the bank's logo, name, branch locations and state printed in the top-center portion of the item. Some counterfeit items display the words “date” and “amount” within a rectangle on the right side. In addition, some counterfeit items have a toll-free telephone number not associated with the bank printed below the state name.

Authentic checks bear the bank's logo, name, branch locations and state in the top center of the check with no telephone number. The checks are printed on light-blue security paper with ornate borders.

Copies of a counterfeit item and an authentic cashier's check (VOID) are attached for your review.

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

Patty Warren
Vice President/Cashier
BankFIRST
1031 W. Morse Blvd
Winter Park, FL 32789
Phone: (407) 629-8466 Ext. 196
Cell Phone: (407) 427-0423
FAX: (407) 629-7646
Email: pwarren@bankfirst.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/2006/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.


  Sandra L. Thompson
  Acting Director
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection

Attachment (not available electronically)

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, telephone: 1-877-275-3342 or 703-562-2200; fax: 703-562-2296; or e-mail: publicinfo@fdic.gov).

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)

Last Updated 02/23/2006 communications@fdic.gov