The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier’s checks issued in the bank’s name and using a correct routing number of 102300459 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a mystery shopping scam.

The counterfeit checks may be identified by the following traits: the words “CASHIER’S CHECK” are located in the top center portion of the instrument directly above the following security statement: “AN INDEMNITY AND/OR SURETY BOND MAY BE REQUIRED PRIOR TO REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF THIS CHECK IF LOST OR DESTROYED.”  The following wording is located beneath the bank name in the upper-left section of the check:  “Payable Through First National Bank of Buffalo, Buffalo, WY, For Inquiries call 1-866-495-3692.”  A remitter line is located in the bottom-left corner of the check, and the following security statement is located within the bottom border surrounded by padlock icons:  “SECURITY FEATURES INCLUDED.   DETAILS ON BACK.”  The words “Authorized Signature” and “Countersigned” are located under the signature lines in the bottom-right portion of the instrument. 

Items presented to date have included a remitter of “Top Shop, Inc.,” have been made payable in the amount of $4,985, include the words “Operator I.D..Cu9482101” towards the top-right area, contain a 9-digit check serial number beginning in the “254” series, and have been signed by “Thomas W. Casey” and “D D’Alessendro.” 

Correspondence accompanying the counterfeit checks may contain the letterhead of “TOP SHOP INC., Suite 171, 404 S. Cannon Street, Bridgeville, DE  19933, Tel/Fax#: 1-905-599-6092.”  Note that this wireless telephone number originates in Oakville, Ontario.   The letter may be signed by Kristy Hudson, Chief Assignment Co-Ordinator.  The correspondence informs the recipient that he or she has been pre-selected to represent the company as a mystery shopper.  It is explains that the enclosed cashier’s check is to be used during the assignment to make purchases at various merchants and to transfer money using a nationally known wire service.  Recipients are instructed to contact 1-905-599-6092 prior to depositing the check and are required to keep the assignment confidential in accordance with the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which is enclosed with the check.

Due to possible variations in the appearance of the bank’s official items and differing scams associated with the counterfeit or fictitious items, officials of the First National Bank of Buffalo recommend that any recipient who receives any of the bank’s official items from an unknown or questionable source should contact the bank to verify the item’s authenticity.

For additional information and guidance, please contact Diana Borgialli, Vice President/Security & BSA Officer, P.O. Box 400, Buffalo, WY  82834, by telephone at (800) 766-3641, by fax at (307) 684-5620, or via e-mail at [dborgialli@fnb-buffalo.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 Internet 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 http://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 http://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 https://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:

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