The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier’s checks issued in the bank’s name and using a correct routing number of 061103975 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a mystery shopping Internet scam.

The counterfeit items may be identified by the following: Counterfeit items are of unknown color but contain the bank’s name and address in the upper-left corner. The following security statement is located in the top border of the item: “THIS CHECK IS VOID WITHOUT A COLORED BORDER AND BACKGROUND PLUS A DIAMOND & FINGERPRINT WATERMARK ON THE BANK – HOLD AT ANGLE TO VIEW.” Items presented to date have been made payable for $1,290.45 and contain a remitter name of Melissa S. Wilson.

Correspondence accompanying the counterfeit checks contains the following letterhead: “Global Market Research, 28 West 44th Street, New York, NY  10036; Tel-1-800-708-4070 / 416-828-0736 Fax-1-877-414-7735.” The correspondence informs the recipient that he or she has been selected for a paid consumer research program and that the funds of the counterfeit check should be utilized for various purchases, with the majority of the funds being sent to a third party via Western Union. Recipients are encouraged to contact a training coordinator at 1-800-708-4070 for clarification. The letter is signed by Joseph Miles, Group Project Director.

For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company’s cashier’s checks, please contact Kelli M. Fulford, Security Officer, by mail at 113 East Broad St., Louisville, GA 30434; by telephone at (706) 731-1410; by fax at (706) 731-5902; or by e-mail at kfulford@QNbtrust.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 (877) FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC’s Web site at www.ftc.gov.
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (to report Canadian scams): by telephone at (888) 495-8501 or by e-mail at info@phonebusters.com. Its Web site, www.phonebusters.com, provides additional contact telephone 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 2 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 Internet Crime Complaint Center (to report 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 Inspection Service by telephone at (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 online complaint form at: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx.

Additional information concerning this matter that 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.

Richard C. Stearns
Director for Enforcement and Compliance