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Alert 2007-34
Subject: Fraudulent Regulatory Agency Issuances
Date: June 11, 2007
Description: Fraudulent Correspondence Purportedly from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Fraudulent letters claiming to be from the FDIC are being sent to financial institutions

To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsel; and All Examining Personnel

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has been informed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) that fraudulent letters that appear to be faxed by the FDIC to financial institutions in the United States and other countries are currently in circulation.

The letters state that "information is sought pursuant to sections 5318(J) and 5318(k) of Title 31 of the United States Code, as added by sections 313 and 319(b) of the USA PATRIOT ACT OF 2001 (Public Law 107-56)."

The letters also state, in part:

"As part of our oversight duties over banks operating in the United States, it is our statutory responsibility to ensure that foreign banks which maintain correspondent accounts with banks in the United States are up to date with their Certification."

Recipients are asked to complete a form (attached as a second page to the fraudulent fax) and return the completed form by fax to a telephone number provided. The letters are signed by "Ms Rosaline Smith, For and on Behalf of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation."

The letters are fraudulent and were not sent by the FDIC. Financial institutions should NOT respond to the fraudulent request for information and should NOT, under any circumstances, forward any information to the fax telephone number.

Any information that you may have concerning this matter should be brought to the attention of: FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 550 17th Street, NW, Room F-4004, Washington, DC 20429, or transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov.

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

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