Counterfeit cashier's checks drawn on AmericanWest Bank, Spokane, Washington, are in circulation

AmericanWest Bank, Spokane, Washington, has reported to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution name "AMERICAWEST BANK, INC" are in circulation.

Counterfeit items are markedly dissimilar to authentic official bank checks and display an incorrect routing number of 125107037. Counterfeit items display the bank name as AMERICAWEST BANK, INC, in the upper-left corner (no "n" at the end of America) and include the wording "Cashier's Check" centered at the top of the check. Authentic checks display the bank logo and correct bank name AmericanWest Bank in the lower-left corner of the check. Copies of a counterfeit check and an authentic official bank check (void) are attached for your review.

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

Trish Christenson
Bank Operations Manager
AmericanWest Bank
9506 N. Newport Hwy.
Spokane, Washington 99218
Telephone: (509) 344-5301
Fax: (509) 465-9681
tchristenson@awbank.net

Information about these instruments may be forwarded to the FDIC's Special Activities Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-4040, 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 website at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2004/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Michael J. ZamorskiDirector
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection