Counterfeit official checks bearing the name Washington Federal, Washington, Pennsylvania, are reportedly in circulation

Washington Federal Savings Bank, Washington, Pennsylvania, 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 display the routing number 243374221, which is assigned to Washington Federal Savings Bank. The items are not similar to authentic checks and include the words "OFFICIAL CHECK" below the top border, printed on the right side of the institution's name. In the top-left corner is a "W" logo, which is not associated with the institution. Security feature descriptions are embedded within the top border and detailed on the back.

Authentic checks display the words "TREASURER'S CHECK" centered below the top border and include the institution's official logo in the top-left corner. Authentic checks also display the institution's name and the words "AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE" above the lower-right corner. The checks are printed on paper with a pale blue 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:

Kenneth E. Arthur, Jr.
Security Officer
Washington Federal Savings Bank
77 South Main Street
Washington, Pennsylvania 15301
Telephone (724) 222-3120 Ext. 1155
Fax: (724) 223-4169
E-mail: karthur@washfed.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 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