Counterfeit Cashier's Checks of Park National Bank, Newark, Ohio

Alert2012-1Subject: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks
Date: February 3, 2012 Description: Park National Bank

To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks and Federal Savings Associations; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsels; and All Examining Personnel

The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks issued in the bank's name and using a correct routing number of 044101305 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a lottery scam.

Counterfeit items closely resemble the authentic checks but may be identified by the following: the bank name printed on the face of the check appears as “Fairfield National Bank (Division of the Park National Bank).” The items include an “Issued By” section in the top-right portion, which reads as follows: “Fairfield National Bank, Division of The Park National Bank, P.O. Box 607, 143 West Main Street, Lancaster, OH 43130.” Items presented to date have been made payable in the amount of $3,875 and contain a remitter's name of Meridian Financial Group.

Correspondence accompanying these checks contains the letterhead of “Meridian Financial Group, 37 King Street, W Toronto, ON M5C 1E9 Canada, Tel: 1-416-831-6779, Intl: 011447024081557.” The letter informs the recipient that he or she has been chosen as a winner in a Shopper's Sweepstake Lottery. The letter further states that the enclosed check is to cover applicable government taxes, which is to be paid directly to the tax agent. Recipients are directed to contact Claim Agent George Nelson at (416) 831-6779 within 10 business days.

For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of Park National Bank's cashier's checks, please contact Megan Egan, Loss Prevention Specialist II,
50 N. Third Street, Newark, OH 43055; by telephone at (740) 349-3925; by fax at (740) 349-7916; or via e-mail at [megan@parknationalbank.com].

Consumers who receive a counterfeit or fictitious item and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at (877) FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC's Web site at www.ftc.gov.
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian scams): by telephone at (888) 495-8501 or via e-mail at [info@phonebusters.com]. Its Web site, www.phonebusters.com, provides additional contact numbers.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB): The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers. The international Web site, www.bbb.org, offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than 2 million businesses, consumer scam alerts, and tips on a wide variety of topics that help consumers find trustworthy businesses and make wise purchasing decisions.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (scams that may have originated via the Internet) at www.ic3.gov.
• If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by telephone at (888) 877-7644; by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100; or via e-mail at https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx.

Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) may be forwarded to:

E-mail: occalertresponses@occ.treas.govMail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Special Supervision Division, MS 2-7
250 E St. SW, Washington, DC 20219Fax: (202) 874-5214Internet: www.occ.treas.gov

For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource at: http://www.occ.treas.gov/fraudresources.htm.

Richard C. Stearns
Director for Enforcement andCompliance