The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks issued in the bank's name and using a correct routing number of 111900081 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a lottery scam.

The counterfeit checks are very similar to the authentic checks. Items presented to date have been made payable in the amount of $4,827.00 and contain a 9-digit serial number beginning with 1020396. Due to possible variations of appearance, it is suggested that officials of Extraco Bank, N.A. be contacted to verify authenticity of the bank's cashier's checks if received from an unknown or questionable source.

Correspondence accompanying the counterfeit checks may contain the letterhead of "Anglo Meritz Award, 66 Tanbark Circuit, Suite 7405, Werrington Downs, NSW 2747, Australia." The letter alerts the recipient that he or she is the winner of an unclaimed prize and instructs the recipient to contact Mr. Melvin King at (647) 219-6607 (a Canadian telephone number). The letter further states that the enclosed check is to be used to pay for insurance fees, which is imposed by the International Lottery Commission. The letter may be signed by "Suzette Sunset, Price Disbursement Manager."

For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of Extraco Banks, N.A. cashier's checks, please contact Tamara Gage, Vice President, BSA/AML & Fraud Officer, PO Box 6101, Temple, TX 76503-6101, by telephone at (254) 774-5576, by fax at (254) 774-5590, or via e-mail at [tgage@extracobanks.com].

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

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC's Web site at www.ftc.gov.

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian scams): by telephone at 1-888-495-8501 or via e-mail at [info@phonebusters.com]. Their Web site, www.phonebusters.com, provides additional contact numbers.

• 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 international Web site www.bbb.org offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than two 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 (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center (scams that may have originated via the Internet) at www.ic3.gov.

• If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal Inspector Service by telephone at 1-888-877-7644, 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 e-mail at http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx.

Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the OCC may be forwarded to:

E-mail: occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov
Mail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Special Supervision Division, MS 6-4
250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219
Fax: (202) 874-5214
Internet: http://www.occ.gov

For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource at: http://www.occ.gov/topics/consumer-protection/fraud-resources/index-fraud-resources.html.

/signed/

Richard C. Stearns
Director for Enforcement & Compliance

Related Links

• Anti-Fraud Resources