The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, Harwich Port, Massachusetts, has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation

The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, Harwich Port, Massachusetts, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 211371078, which is assigned to The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank. The counterfeit items are currently associated with a "Secret Shopping Scam," wherein the consumer is asked to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a payment system by sending the payment to a person in Canada. The bottom of the letter, explaining the secret shopping scam, has the advertising logos of several major companies. The counterfeit items display the wording "CASHIER'S CHECK" on the upper-left side of the item, and the bank name and location are displayed in the top-center portion of the item. Authentic checks are referred to as "treasurer's checks." The counterfeit items do not display a logo, but display a 1-888 telephone number, which is not associated with the bank.

Authentic checks display the wording "TREASURER'S CHECK" in the top-center portion of the check, with the wording "Negotiate Within Six Months of Date of Issue" appearing on the line directly beneath. Authentic checks display the bank name and logo in the top-left portion of the check. The bank name, followed by the city and state, is displayed in the lower-left portion of the treasurer's check.

A copy of a counterfeit item and a copy of an authentic cashier's check (VOID) are attached for your review.

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

Diane K. Rowlings
Security Officer
The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank
19 West Road
P.O. Box 10
Orleans, Massachusetts 02653
Telephone: (508) 247-2128
Fax: (508) 247-5595
E-mail: drowlings@capecodfive.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 U.S.A.)Fax: +1 (888) 654-9426 (toll-free in Canada and the U.S.A.)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.

Sandra L. ThompsonActing Director
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection