Counterfeit official checks bearing the name United Community Bank, Gonzales, Louisiana, are reportedly in circulation

United Community Bank, Gonzales, Louisiana, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit official checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation. The counterfeit items are reportedly associated with a Canadian lottery scam and are included with award notification letters from Royal Link International Lotto, Inc. The letters display an Ontario, Canada address.

Counterfeit items display the routing number 051900353, which is assigned to Branch Banking & Trust Company (BB&T), Wilson, North Carolina. Counterfeit items display a security statement "THE FACE OF THIS DOCUMENT IS PRINTED BLUE - THE BACK CONTAINS A SIMULATED WATERMARK" embedded in the top border.

Authentic checks display the bank's logo in the top-left corner. A security statement is displayed just below the top border. Authentic checks are payable through BB&T, Charleston, West Virginia.

Copies of a counterfeit item and an authentic check (VOID) are attached for your review. Be aware that the appearance of counterfeit items can be modified and that additional variations may be presented.

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

Calvin "Sonny" Aldridge
Bank Security Officer
United Community Bank
P.O. Box 850
Gonzales, Louisiana 15102
Telephone: (225) 644-2265, extension 2231
Fax: (225) 644-0402
E-mail: saldridge@hotmail.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 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/2007/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. Thompson
Director