Counterfeit cashier's checks drawn on North Brookfield Savings Bank, North Brookfield, Massachusetts, are reportedly in circulation

North Brookfield Savings Bank, North Brookfield, Massachusetts, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

North Brookfield Savings Bank has been presented with and received several inquiries regarding counterfeit cashier's checks. These items claim to be issued by Integrated Payment Systems, but bear the routing number 211374091, which is assigned to the North Brookfield Savings Bank. The items are part of a "Secret Shoppers Scam," which is reportedly based in Canada. Targets of the scam are instructed to cash the check and return most of the funds to Canada in an effort to determine the efficiency of an international money transfer service. The counterfeit items display a telephone number, which is not associated with the North Brookfield Savings Bank. A copy of the counterfeit item is attached for your review.

For inquiries regarding these items, please contact:

Kirk Burnham
Vice President & Chief Technology Officer
North Brookfield Savings Bank
35 Summer Street
North Brookfield, Massachusetts 01535
Telephone: (508) 867-7442
kburnham@banknbsb.com

To report this scam or any other scam based in or mailed from Canada, please contact Phonebusters, which is a joint partnership between the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Phonebusters is interested in receiving copies of scam letters, particularly those involving Canadian mailing addresses or telephone numbers. Records relating to the payment of advance fees should also be forwarded to Phonebusters. This intelligence information is used to assist in the strategic targeting of would-be fraudsters. Scam letters should be forwarded to the Phonebusters National Call Center (PNCC) as follows:

Mail: Box 686
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
P1B 8J8Web site: www.phonebusters.comTelephone: +1 (888) 495-8501 (toll-free in Canada and the USA)Fax: +1 (888) 654-9426 (toll-free in Canada and the USA)E-mail: info@phonebusters.comAdvance fee fraud (including Nigerian and lottery letters): wafl@phonebusters.com

Information about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents and other fraudulent activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-4004, 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/2006/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html. www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html

Sandra L. ThompsonActing Director
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection