Fictitious Official Checks of First National Bank of Weatherford, Weatherford, TX
First National Bank of Weatherford
Weatherford, TX
Linda Swackhammer
lswackhammer@fnbweatherford.com
Voice (817) 598-4926
Fax
Subject: Fictitious Official Checks Description: First National Bank of Weatherford Date:February 20, 2008 TO: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsel; and All Examining PersonnelRE: Fictitious Official Checks of First National Bank of Weatherford, Weatherford, TX
The above-named bank has reported that fictitious official checks issued in the bank's name and using the bank's correct routing number of 111910267 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a mystery shopping scam.
These items are fictitious, as the First National Bank of Weatherford does not issue official checks. Checks presented to date have been made payable in the amounts of $3,875 and $3,950 and may include a remitter name of “CSS.” Due to possible variations in appearance of the bank's official items and scams, it is suggested that officials of the First National Bank of Weatherford be contacted to verify authenticity of any of the bank's official items, if received from an unknown or questionable source.
The mystery shopper correspondence may contain the letterhead of “COMPARISON SHOPPING SOLUTIONS, PO Box 4800, Wildwood, NJ 08280, Tel: 1-905-920-5618, Fax: 1-888-380-8459.” Note that the telephone number provided originates out of Hamilton, Ontario. The correspondence informs the recipient that he or she has been selected to be a secret shopper for the company. It explains that the enclosed check is to be used to purchase merchandise at various nationally known merchants as well as to transfer money using a nationally known wire service. The funds to be spent at each location are broken down by a specific dollar amount, with the shopper being allotted the remaining funds as payment for their mystery shopper service. The letter may be signed by Cathy Bradley.
For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of the First National Bank of Weatherford's official items, please contact Linda Swackhammer, Compliance Officer, P.O. Box 730, 220 Palo Pinto Street, Weatherford, TX 76086, by telephone at (817) 598-4926, by fax at (817) 598-4901, or via e-mail at [lswackhammer@fnbweatherford.com].
Consumers who receive a counterfeit or fictitious item and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:
· Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC's Internet site at www.ftc.gov.
· Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian Scams): by telephone at 1-888-495-8501 or via e-mail at [info@phonebusters.com]. Their Web site, www.phonebusters.com, provides additional contact numbers.
· Better Business Bureau – The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States, and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers. The international Web site (www.bbb.org) offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than two million businesses, consumer scam alerts, and tips on a wide variety of topics that help consumers find trustworthy businesses and make wise purchasing decisions.
· Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center (Scams that may have originated via the Internet) at www.ic3.gov
· If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal Inspector Service by telephone at 1-888-877-7644, by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100 or via e-mail at https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx.
Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the OCC may be forwarded to:
E-mail: occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov Mail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Special Supervision Division, MS 6-4
250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219 Fax: (202) 874-5214 Internet: http://www.occ.treas.gov
For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource at: http://www.occ.treas.gov/fraudresources.htm.
/signed/
Richard C. Stearns
Director for Enforcement & Compliance