Special Alert: SLS00248

The Necedah Bank, Necedah, Wisconsin, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that fraudulent cashier's checks are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number of 075906197, which is the proper routing number for the bank. The counterfeit checks are similar to the authentic checks. However, the wording ?two signatures required? appears above the signature lines on the authentic checks and below the signature lines on the counterfeit checks. In addition, the word ?REMITTER? appears in capital letters near the upper-left hand side on the authentic checks, but not on the counterfeit checks. Copies 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:

Kevin Ravenscroft
Security Officer
The Necedah Bank
212 Main Street
Necedah, Wisconsin 54646
Telephone: (608) 565-2296
Fax: (608) 565-7044
Email: kevin@thenecedahbank.com

Information about these instruments 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)

Independent Bank, Memphis, Tennessee, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that fraudulent cashier's checks are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display a routing number of 213532122, which is not the proper routing number for Independent Bank. The counterfeit checks are markedly dissimilar from the authentic checks. The authentic checks are grey and the bank's logo of an "i" inside a red circle appears in the upper-left corner of the check. The counterfeit checks are white, and do not have a logo. The authentic checks reflect the actual office on Poplar Avenue, while the counterfeit items show an address on Union Avenue. Copies 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:

Eddie Grubbs
Senior Vice President and Security Officer
Independent Bank
5050 Poplar Avenue, Suite 110
Memphis, Tennessee 38157
Telephone: (901) 844-0321
Fax: (901) 844-0383
Email: eddie@i-bankonline.com

Information about these instruments 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)

American Bank of Commerce, Wolfforth, Texas, 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 display the routing number of 114917814, which is the routing number for the bank's Austin, Texas, branch. The counterfeit items and authentic checks are similar. However, authentic cashier's checks have the blue and red bank logo screened across the backdrop of the check; a repeating red "ABC" decorative border on both sides of the check face; and two signature lines with the wording "Two signatures required over $1,000.00" located above the top signature line. Authentic checks also list the city names of Wolfforth, Lubbock and Austin below the logo. The counterfeit items have one signature line, do not have the "ABC Bank" backdrop, and list the city name of Houston, Texas, below the logo. Copies 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:

Judith Sisson
Vice President
American Bank of Commerce
P.O. Drawer 9
Wolfforth, Texas 79382
Telephone: (806) 775-5038
Fax: (806) 775-5075
Email: jsisson@theabcbank.com

Information about these instruments may be forwarded to the FDIC's Special Activities Section, 550 17^th Street, N.W., Room F-4040, 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)

Keystone Nazareth Bank & Trust Company, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 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 display the proper routing number of 096016765, which is the routing number for the clearing bank for Keystone Nazareth Bank & Trust Company. The counterfeit items and the authentic checks are similar. However, authentic cashier's checks have the bank logo between the words "Keystone" and "Nazareth" in the bank name. The authentic checks do not have any security wording within the top border. The counterfeit items are missing the logo between the two words and have a top border that contains a description of the security notice. Copies 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:

Henry D. Farabaugh
Assistant Vice President and Security Officer
Keystone Nazareth Bank & Trust Company
90 Highland Avenue
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18017
Telephone: (610) 807-5884
Fax: (610) 861-7892
Email: henry.farabaugh@knbt.com

Information about these instruments 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)

On March 24, 2005, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) published the attached list of 33 financial entities whose Web site note a Cayman Island address, but the entities are neither registered nor licensed to carry on activities regulated by the CIMA. The notice also states that none of the entities has registered with the Cayman Islands Companies Registry. The CIMA provides an aggregate list of all such entities on the following Web site: http://www.cimoney.com.ky/templates/HTMLPage/defaultdisplay.asp?text_id=HTMLPage90053&button=9

These entities, or persons representing them, may be operating in the Cayman Islands offering banking or other financial services to individuals, businesses or financial institutions located in the United States. They may be violating provisions of the Banks and Trust Companies Law (revised 2003) or other regulations issued by the Cayman Island government. They may also be conducting or facilitating unauthorized financial transactions in the United States. Any proposed transactions involving these entities should be viewed with extreme caution.

Any information about these entities 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.

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. This Special Alert replaces SA-91-2004.

Attachment: May be accessed from: http://www.cimoney.com.ky/templates/HTMLPage/defaultdisplay.asp?text_id=HTMLPage90053&button=9

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).

Commerce Bank of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that fraudulent checks are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the proper routing number of 122105922, which is assigned to Commerce Bank of Arizona. The counterfeit checks are markedly dissimilar from the authentic checks. The authentic checks are printed on plain blue stock, display the words "Cashier's Check," have the word "Date" in the upper left-hand corner, and have a six-digit check number. The counterfeit checks are on marbled stock, display the words "Official Check," have the date in the upper right-hand corner, and have an eight-digit check number. Copies of a counterfeit item and an authentic cashier's check (VOID) are attached for your review.

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

Alan J. Wahl
Senior Vice President
Commerce Bank of Arizona
3805 E. Broadway
Tucson, Arizona 85716
Telephone: (520) 325-5200
Fax: (520) 327-0513
Email: awahl@commercebankaz.com

Information about these instruments 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)

First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, Inc., Columbia, South Carolina, 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 display the proper routing number of 053201487, which is the routing number for First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, Inc. The counterfeit items and the authentic checks are dissimilar. Authentic cashier's checks are issued on blue pre-printed, secure paper stock, have a decorative gold or burgundy border and do not have a telephone number on the check. The counterfeit items are printed on blue computer check stock, have a thin blue border at the top of the check, and display the telephone number 1-888-225-3873, which is not associated with First Citizens Bank and Trust Company. Copies 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:

Mr. Brad McFarland
Vice President/Corporate Fraud Investigations
First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 29
Columbia, South Carolina 29202
Telephone: (803) 733-2760
Fax: (803) 733-2098
Email: brad.mcfarland@firstcitizensonline.com

Information about these instruments 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)

Downey Savings and Loan Association, F.A., Newport Beach, California, 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 display the institution's proper routing number of 322270356. The counterfeit items and the authentic checks are similar. The authentic cashier's checks are printed on yellow paper and have a "Downey Savings" watermark across the face of the checks. The counterfeit items are printed in a variety of colors, but lack the watermark. Copies 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:

Jim White, Vice-President/Director of Security
Downey Savings and Loan Association, F.A.
3501 Jamboree Road
Newport Beach, California 92658
Telephone: (949) 509-4150
Fax: (949) 823-5487
Email: jwhite@downeysavings.com

Information about these instruments 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)

Merchants & Southern Bank, Gainesville, Florida, 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 display the proper routing number of 051900353, which is the routing number for the clearing bank for Merchants & Southern Bank. The counterfeit items and the authentic checks are similar. However, the counterfeit checks have the words "Merchants & Southern Bank" printed on the amount line just before the amount and on the Drawer line. The counterfeit check is also missing the dark shading along the top of the MICR line and the left side of the check. Authentic checks have the dark shading along the left side of the check and above the numbers on the MICR line. Copies 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:

Roger L. Snare
Vice President Compliance and Security
Merchants & Southern Bank
2040 NW 67 Place
Gainesville, Florida 32653
Telephone: (352) 264-7100
Fax: (352) 378-1452
Email: rsnare@ms-bank.com

Information about these instruments 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)

Bank of Grandin, Grandin, Missouri, 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 display the proper routing number of 081513969, which is the routing number for Bank of Grandin. The counterfeit items and the authentic checks are dissimilar. Authentic cashier's checks have the logo on the top left and the correct location of "Grandin, MO" to the right of the logo. The counterfeit item reflects the bank's branch in "Doniphan, MO." Copies 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:

Rodney Moore
President
Bank of Grandin
P.O. Box 235
Grandin, Missouri 63943
Telephone: (573) 593-4211
Fax: (573) 593-4213
Email: bankofgrandin@semo.net

Information about these instruments 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)