Counterfeit personal money orders bearing the name Western National Bank are reportedly in circulation

Western National Bank, Odessa, Texas, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit personal money orders bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 011007092, which is assigned to Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Western National Bank's personal money orders are issued by Moneygram Payment Systems, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, through an account at Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company. The items are dissimilar to authentic personal money orders and have a "VOID" background when copied. A security feature statement is embedded in a darkened top border and a heat-sensitive circle is centered at the bottom border. A toll-free telephone number, which is not associated with the bank, is shown below that bank's logo and name in the top center. A padlock and security statement are on the reverse side.

Authentic personal money orders have a blue background with a white center and blue borders. A security feature statement is shown below the top border in the centered area. Above the signature line is the conditional purchase statement: "Purchasers, by signing you agree to the service charge and other terms on the reverse 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:

Rebecca Lozano
Security Officer
Western National Bank
508 West Wall
Midland, Texas 79701
Telephone: (432) 617-1216
Fax: (432) 617-1345
E-mail: rebeccal@westernnb.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-3054, 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/2010/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