Counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the name PremierWest Bank are reportedly in circulation

PremierWest Bank, Medford, Oregon, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items are light brown and display the routing number 123206590, which is assigned to PremierWest Bank. The words "Check No." are displayed in the top-right corner. A heat-sensitive icon appears at the end of the signature line.

Authentic checks are light blue. The checks display a security feature statement embedded in a darkened top border and a padlock icon within the right border. The word "REMITTER" appears in the lower-left corner. A heat-sensitive icon is centered in the lower-center area of the checks.

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:

Jean J. Mickson
Operations Manager
PremierWest Bank
503 Airport Road
Suite 102
Medford, Oregon 97504
Telephone: (541) 282-5185
Fax: (541) 282-5130
E-mail: jean.mickson@premierwestbank.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