Counterfeit official checks bearing the name Meridian Bank, Devon, Pennsylvania, are reportedly in circulation

Meridian Bank, Paoli, Pennsylvania, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit official checks bearing the institution's name are being circulated with a mystery shopping scam letter.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 031918828, which is assigned to Meridian Bank. The items also display "OFFICIAL CHECK" in a large font near the top. The bank's logo, name and location are shown in the top-left corner.

Authentic checks, which are referred to as "Cashier's Checks," display the bank's logo, name, location and local telephone number in the top center portion of the check.

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:

Timothy J. Mahan
Security Officer
Meridian Bank
92 Lancaster Avenue, Suite 200
Devon, Pennsylvania 19333
Telephone: (484) 568-5018
Fax: (484) 582-0650
E-mail: tmahan@meridianbanker.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/2008/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