Counterfeit cashier's checks drawn on First Bank of San Luis Obispo (a brand of Pacific Capital Bank, N A), San Luis Obispo, California, are reportedly in circulation

First Bank of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, California, has contacted the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to report that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation. Pacific Capital Bank, N.A., operates under various names in California, including First Bank of San Luis Obispo.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 122238077, which is assigned to First Bank of San Luis Obispo, and are printed on blue check stock, which has a security strip in the top border. The following statement is embedded in that border: "THE FACE OF THIS DOCUMENT HAS A BLUE CHECK BACKGROUND ON WHITE PAPER AND A VOID PANTOGRAPH WITH A BLUE SECURITY STRIP IN CENTER." In addition, the wording "CASHIER'S CHECK" appears along the left border of the item. The bank's name, "First Bank, San Luis, California," appears in the center of the item, with a fictitious bank logo to the left. The fictitious logo is the number "1" embedded in a map of the United States, encircled by a globe. The wording "TO THE ORDER OF" appears in the lower-left corner of the item.

Authentic cashier's checks display the bank's logo of a bird flying across an ocean view in the top-center portion of the check. Directly below the logo is printed: "FIRST BANK OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, PO BOX 1249, 995 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406, Tel: (805) 541-6100 -Fax (805) 544-2217." The dollar amount is embossed on the check and is followed by the statement: "This document has a micro-print signature line, watermark and a thermochromic icon; Absence of these features will indicate a copy." The wording "CASHIER'S CHECK" is displayed in the lower-left portion of the check.

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

Holly Mislavsky
Senior Vice President of Operations
First Bank of San Luis Obispo
995 Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Telephone: (805) 783-5125
Fax: (805) 544-2217
E-mail: Holly.Mislavsky@firstbankslo.com

Additional information about this matter that you believe should be brought to the OCC's attention may be forwarded to:

Mail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Enforcement & Compliance Division, MS 8-10
250 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20219Fax: (202) 874-5301E-mail: occalertresponses@occ.treas.govInternet: http://www.occ.treas.gov

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.

Sandra L. ThompsonActing Director
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection