Counterfeit official checks bearing the name Merchant and Farmer's Bank, Kosciusko, Mississippi, are reportedly in circulation

Merchants and Farmers Bank, Kosciusko, 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 084201621, which is assigned to Merchants and Farmers Bank. The words "OFFICIAL CHECK" appear inside of a rectangle with rounded corners in the top center. The restrictive statement "TWO SIGNATURE REQUIRED FOR ANY AMOUNT OF FIVE THOUSAND OR MORE" appears above the "AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE" line in the lower-right corner.

Authentic checks display three "REMITTER" lines at the top. The bank's toll-free telephone number and website are displayed below the bank's name and address in the lower-left corner. There is a heat sensitive icon to the left of the signature line 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:

Michael Lann
Security Officer
Merchants and Farmers Bank
16623 US Highway 280
Chelsea, Alabama 35043
Telephone: (205) 678-4010
Fax: (205) 678-4016
Email: mslann@mfbank.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