Counterfeit checks bearing the name Pierce Commercial Bank, Tacoma, Washington, are reportedly in circulation

Pierce Commercial Bank, Tacoma, Washington, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 125108447, which is assigned to Pierce Commercial Bank, but are markedly dissimilar to authentic cashier's checks. The counterfeit items display the bank's name, former street address ("5821 S Sprague Ct, Ste 101"), city, state and zip code in the lower-left corner. The bank's name, city, state, and zip code are repeated below the word "REMITTER" in the upper-left corner. The following security statements are embedded within the top border: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS A GRADUATED BACKGROUND DARK TO LIGHT. THE REVERSE SIDE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK."

Authentic checks display the words "CASHIER'S CHECK" in the lower-left corner. The bank's logo (consisting of the letter "P"), name, street address ("1722 S Union Avenue"), city, state and zip code appear in the top-center portion. The following security statements appear below the printed amount line: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS A MICRO PRINT SIGNATURE LINE, WATERMARK AND A THERMOCHROMIC ICON. ABSENCE OF THESE FEATURES WILL INDICATE A COPY." Authentic checks have a weave patterned background.

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:

Amy Brickey
Vice President
Pierce Commercial Bank
1722 South Union Avenue
Tacoma, Washington 98405
Telephone: (253) 471-1500
Fax: (253) 474-3251
E-mail: abrickey@piercebank.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. Questions 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 http://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
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection