Special Alert: SLS00272

12/12/2005

SA-175-2005

East West Bank, San Marino, California, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 322070381, which is assigned to East West Bank. The counterfeit items are dissimilar to authentic cashier's checks. Authentic checks have a logo in the top-left corner of the check; counterfeit checks do not display a logo. Also, authentic checks display the following wording across the top of the check: "This multi-tone area of the document changes color gradually and evenly from dark to light." The counterfeit items display the following wording: "This document has a colored background and microprinting. The reverse side includes an artificial watermark." A copy of a counterfeit item and an authentic cashier's check (VOID) are attached for your review.

Any information you have concerning this matter should be brought to the attention of:

Krishan Sirimane
Vice President ? Bank Operations and Risk Management
or
Francisco Espinoza
Assistant Vice President ? Assistant Risk Manager
East West Bank
415 Huntington Drive
San Marino, California 91108
Telephone: (626) 300-6340 or (626) 300-6341
Fax: (626) 281-0367
ksiriman@eastwestbank.com
fespinoza@eastwestbank.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. Information 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 Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2005/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Attachment (not available electronically)

NOTE: As a security precaution, the FDIC does not post to its Web site online copies of fraudulent instruments or copies of the genuine instruments that have been counterfeited. This is to avoid attempts by others to use the electronic versions of these instruments to facilitate additional fraud. Printed copies of fraudulent instruments are mailed with the Special Alert letter to the financial institutions on the letter's distribution list (generally, FDIC-supervised banks ? commercial and savings). Printed copies of the Special Alert and its attachment(s) may also be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (telephone: 1-877-275-3342 or 202-416-6940; fax: 202-416-2076; or e-mail: publicinfo@fdic.gov).

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)

12/12/2005

SA-176-2005

First National Bank, Hermitage, Pennsylvania, contacted the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC) to report that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 043001435, which is assigned to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh ( Pennsylvania ). The counterfeit items also display the bank's name in the top-center portion of the check. However, the bank's name is followed by an incorrect address and telephone number: 490 E. North Avenue , Pittsburg , PA 15212 , 1-888-239-1658. The words "FIRST NATIONAL" appear in the upper-left corner of the check, and the words "CASHIER'S CHECK" appear in the lower-left corner of the check.

Authentic checks display the logo of shaking hands in front of a flag and the bank's name appears in the top-left portion of the check. The words "CASHIER'S CHECK" appear in an enclosed box in the top-center portion of the check, with the "Remitter" line directly beneath. Also, "DRAWER: FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PENNSYLVANIA" appears in the lower- left portion of the check.

To verify the authenticity of a First National Bank cashier's check, or to provide any information you have concerning this matter, please contact:

Charles R. Herdt
Security Consultant
First National Bank
One FNB Boulevard
Hermitage, Pennsylvania 16148
Telephone: (724) 983-4916
Fax: (724)983-3290
herdt@fnb-corp.com

Additional information about this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of OCC may be forwarded to:

Mail: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Enforcement & Compliance Division, MS 8-10
250 E. Street, SW
Washington, DC 20219
Fax: (202) 874-5301
Email: occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov
Internet: http://www.occ.treas.gov

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. Information 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 Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2005/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)

NOTE: Paper copies of FDIC Special Alerts may be obtained through the FDIC's Public Information Center , 801 17th Street, NW , Room 100, Washington , DC 20434 (1-877-275-3342 or 202-416-6940).

SA-177-2005

San Angelo National Bank, San Angelo, Texas, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 111306871, which is assigned to San Angelo National Bank. The counterfeit items are very dissimilar to authentic cashier's checks in style, font and format. Authentic checks display the wording "Cashier's Check" in the bottom-left portion of the check, while the counterfeit items display the wording across the left side of the check. Authentic checks also display the logo of offset rectangles adjacent to the bank's name. Directly beneath the bank's name, San Angelo's Bank appears in a box. The counterfeit items display a logo consisting of an outline of the United States inside of an oval. In the top-left corner of the counterfeit items is a notice to customers. A copy of a counterfeit item and an authentic cashier's check (VOID) are attached for your review.

Any information you have concerning this matter should be brought to the attention of:

Reba Priddy
Senior Vice President
San Angelo National Bank
301 West Beauregard Street
P.O. Box 5291
San Angelo, Texas 76902
Telephone: (325) 659-5922
Fax: (325) 659-5916
rpriddy@sanb-tx.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. Information 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 Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2005/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Attachment (not available electronically)

NOTE: As a security precaution, the FDIC does not post to its Web site online copies of fraudulent instruments or copies of the genuine instruments that have been counterfeited. This is to avoid attempts by others to use the electronic versions of these instruments to facilitate additional fraud. Printed copies of fraudulent instruments are mailed with the Special Alert letter to the financial institutions on the letter's distribution list (generally, FDIC-supervised banks ? commercial and savings). Printed copies of the Special Alert and its attachment(s) may also be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (telephone: 1-877-275-3342 or 202-416-6940; fax: 202-416-2076; or e-mail: publicinfo@fdic.gov).

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)

12/12/2005

SA-178-2005

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) of Canada has published the attached "Warning Notice" (Issue No. 64), which contains the name of an entity recently brought to OSFI's attention.

The warning notice states that Frost National Trust, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (http://www.frostnational.com), is not an authorized federally regulated financial institution (Canadian) and may be involved in advance fee or "Nigerian letter" scams (see also OSFI's Warning Notice No. 23, dated February 2002). This entity, or persons purported to represent it, is reportedly operating in Canada , and may be violating provisions of the Bank Act ( Canada ) or other Canadian financial institution regulations. This entity may also be conducting unauthorized banking transactions in the United States . Any proposed transactions involving this entity should be viewed with extreme caution.

In addition, Transbanc Capital Corporation, which was named in Warning Notice No. 62, has been removed from the Warning List.

Each "Warning Notice," beginning with Issue No. 1 through OSFI's latest "Warning Notice," may be found at: http://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/osfi/index_e.aspx?ArticleID=166.

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. Information 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 Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2005/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

12/12/2005

SA-179-2005

Northway Bank, Berlin, New Hampshire, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 011700425, which is assigned to Northway Bank. However, authentic checks are issued by Integrated Payment Systems, Englewood, Colorado, and use the routing number 102000979, which is assigned to JP Morgan Chase Bank, Denver, Colorado . Also, authentic checks are referred to as official checks, while the counterfeit items use the term cashier's checks. The counterfeit items are dissimilar to authentic official checks in format. Authentic checks display the wording official check in the top-center portion of the check; the counterfeit items display the bank's former name in that location. A copy of a counterfeit item and an authentic cashier's check (VOID) are attached for your review.

The Berlin City Bank and Pemigewasset National Bank merged effective October 1, 2005. The resulting bank was named Northway Bank. Therefore, use caution when handling any checks bearing the bank's former names issued after the merger date.

Any information you have about this matter should be brought to the attention of:

Susan Dumont
Security Officer
Northway Bank
P.O. Box 9
Berlin, New Hampshire 03590
Telephone: (603) 752-1171 Extension 3234
Fax: (603) 528-6054
sdumont@northwaybank.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. Information 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/2005/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Attachment (not available electronically)

NOTE: As a security precaution, the FDIC does not post to its Web site online copies of fraudulent instruments or copies of the genuine instruments that have been counterfeited. This is to avoid attempts by others to use the electronic versions of these instruments to facilitate additional fraud. Printed copies of fraudulent instruments are mailed with the Special Alert letter to the financial institutions on the letter's distribution list (generally, FDIC-supervised banks ? commercial and savings). Printed copies of the Special Alert and its attachment(s) may also be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (telephone: 1-877-275-3342 or 202-416-6940; fax: 202-416-2076; or e-mail: publicinfo@fdic.gov).

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)