Counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the name 1st Bank Yuma, Yuma, Arizona, are reportedly in circulation

1st Bank Yuma, Yuma, Arizona, 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 are associated with a lottery scam and included with correspondence from "Heritage Lottery Fund, 28 Vincent Close, Westminster, London, SW1 0BT, United Kingdom."

The counterfeit items display the routing number 122105906, which is assigned to 1st Bank Yuma, but are dissimilar to authentic cashier's checks. The counterfeit items display the words "CASHIER'S CHECK" inside a rectangle in the top center. The bank's name is printed twice in the upper-left corner. The following security statement is embedded within the top border: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS A GRADUATED BACKGROUND, DARK TO LIGHT. THE REVERSE SIDE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK." The date and dollar amount are displayed inside of rectangles on the right side. "DRAWER:" appears in the lower-left corner.

Authentic checks display the words "CASHIER'S CHECK" in the lower-left corner. The word "REMITTER" is printed below the bank's logo, name and address in the upper-left corner. The following security statement is embedded within the top border: "THE FACE OF THIS DOCUMENT HAS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICRO-PRINT SIGNATURE LINE. THE BACK CONTAINS AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK- HOLD AT AN ANGLE TO VIEW."

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:

John J. Marino
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
1st Bank Yuma
2799 South 4th Avenue
Yuma, Arizona 85364
Telephone: (928) 783-3334
Fax: (928) 344-2132
E-mail: jmarino@1stbankyuma.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