Counterfeit official checks bearing the name Pacific Premier Bank are reportedly in circulation

Pacific Premier Bank, Costa Mesa, California, 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 122042205, which is assigned to Preferred Bank. Pacific Premier Bank issues its official checks through Preferred Bank, Los Angeles, California. The items are dissimilar to authentic cashier's checks. A padlock icon and security feature statement are embedded along the bottom border as well as on the right side of the signature line. The bank's logo and name are in the top-left corner. The wording "PAYABLE THROUGH PREFERRED BANK, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA" and a telephone number, unassociated with the bank, appear below the signature line on the bottom-right side.

Authentic checks are blue and display a "VOID" background when copied. A security statement is shown within darkened top and bottom borders. The banks' logo, name and address appear in the top-left corner. The wording "PAYABLE THROUGH PREFERRED BANK, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA" appears in the lower-left corner. A conditional and restrictive statement is tiered along the bottom portion. A "NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS" appears above two signature lines on the right side.

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:

Steven G. Pitt, J.D.
Senior Legal Analyst and Compliance Manager
Pacific Premier Bank
1600 Sunflower Avenue, 2nd Floor
Costa Mesa, California 92626
Telephone: (714) 431-4051
Fax: (714) 431-4078
E-mail: spitt@ppbi.net

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/2009/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. ThompsonDirector
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection