Counterfeit official checks bearing the name Bank of Jones County, Laurel, Mississippi, are reportedly in circulation

Bank of Jones County, Laurel, Mississippi, 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 065306079, which is assigned to Bank of Jones County; however, the bank does not issue official checks with this routing number. The items are markedly dissimilar to authentic official checks. They display the following security feature statement in the top border: "THIS CHECK IS VOID WITHOUT A GREEN & BLUE BORDER AND BACKGROUND PLUS A KNIGHT & FINGERPRINT WATERMARK ON THE BACK – HOLD AT ANGLE TO VIEW." The words "OFFICIAL CHECK" appear inside an ornate rectangle in the top-right corner. An elongated rectangle containing an indemnity bond statement is shown in the middle of the items. The bank's name and an incorrect address – "1806 Highway 84W, Laurel, Mississippi 39460" – are shown in the lower-left corner. The statemetn "VOID IN 90 DAYS" and the bank's name are shown above the signature area. The statement "SIGNATURE AREA CONTAINS A KNIGHT & FINGERPRINT CHECK WORDING" is shown beneath the words "AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE" below the signature area in the lower-right corner. A line of unknown numbers appears along the left border. The word "REMITTER" is in the top-left corner.

Authentic official checks have ornate borders and squared corners. They display the routing number 051900353, which is assigned to Branch Banking and Trust (BB&T), Charleston, West Virginia. Bank of Jones County issues its official checks through an account at BB&T. The following security feature statement is on two lines in the top-center area: "THIS DOCUMENT HAS AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK PRINTED ON THE BACK. THE FRONT OF THE DOCUMENT HAS A MICRO-PRINT SIGNATURE LINE. ABSENCE OF THESE FEATURES WILL INDICATE A COPY." The bank's logo (a segmented arch containing the bank's name) and "Laurel, MS 39440" are shown in the top-left corner. Two signature lines are displayed in the lower-right corner with the words "AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE" below both lines. "ACCEPTED BY DRAWER/DRAWEE" is shown beneath "AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE" below the second signature line. "REMITTER" and "PAYABLE THROUGH BB&T, CHARLESTON, WV" are shown in the lower-left corner.

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:

Margaret Wilkerson
Vice President
1808 Highway 84W
Laurel, Mississippi 39440
Telephone: (601) 649-4700
Fax: (601) 649-4709
E-mail: margaretw@bankofjonesco.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