Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks of Peoples National Bank, NA, Mount Vernon, IL

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 Personnel

RE: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks of Peoples National Bank, N.A., Mount Vernon, IL

The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks issued in the bank's name and using a correct routing number of 081206807 are currently in circulation and being presented for payment in connection with a lottery scam, mystery shopper scam, and other payment scams.

The counterfeit checks strongly resemble the authentic items; however, they do not contain a watermark.

Items presented to date have been made payable most frequently in amounts between $2,500 and $5,000, and the memo line may show the name of Brian Shadowens. In addition, a shipment of such checks was intercepted by security officers at the Los Angeles International Airport. The checks were undated and contained a payable amount of $3,650. The possibility exists that similar items may have passed into circulation.

Due to possible variations between the appearance of the bank's authentic items and the counterfeit items associated with differing scams, officials of Peoples National Bank, N.A. suggest they be contacted to verify authenticity of the bank's cashier's checks if received from an unknown or questionable source.

For additional information and guidance, and to verify the authenticity of Peoples National Bank, N.A.'s cashier's checks, please contact Peoples National Bank at (618) 241-6550 or (888) 378-1919. Send fraudulent items by mail to Nancy Hannebaum, BSA Officer, 520 S. 42nd Street, Mount Vernon, IL 62864; by fax to (618) 489-6031; or via e-mail to [nancy.hannebaum@peoplesnationalbank.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 Web 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 (BBB) – 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