Counterfeit official checks bearing the name Eastern Bank, Boston, Massachusetts, are reportedly in circulation

Eastern Bank, Boston, Massachusetts, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit official checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation. Eastern Bank does not issue official checks; however, it issues personal money orders.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 011301798, which is assigned to Eastern Bank. A security feature statement is embedded within the top and bottom borders. The words "OFFICIAL CHECK" and the statement "NOT VALID AFTER 90 DAYS" are displayed in the lower-left corner. One "AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE" line appears in the lower-right corner.

Authentic money orders have an outlined border with a security feature statement embedded in the bottom border. The words "PERSONAL MONEY ORDER" and the statement "NOT VALID FOR MORE THAN $1,000.00" appear in the lower-left corner. A "DRAWER" line and an "ADDRESS" line are in the lower-right 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:

John Curtis
Fraud Investigator
Corporate Security
One Eastern Place
Lynn, Massachusetts 01901
Telephone: (781) 598-7474
Fax: (781) 598-7907
E-mail: j.curtis@easternbank.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/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