SPECIAL ALERT

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has learned that counterfeit official bank checks drawn on four separate financial institutions are in circulation. Information about the counterfeit items follows.

• Counterfeit "certified" checks drawn against a nonexistent account at The Warwick Savings Bank, Warwick, New York, are in circulation. The checks are drawn on the account name "National City Mortgage." Attached for your information is a copy of one of the counterfeit items.

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

  Mr. Thomas C. Gargan
  Vice President
  The Warwick Savings Bank
  18 Oakland Avenue
  Warwick, New York 10990
  Telephone: (845) 986-2206 Ext. 2259

• Counterfeit cashier's checks drawn on Liberty State Bank, Lebanon, Tennessee, are in circulation. Attached for your information is a copy of one of the counterfeit items.

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

  Mr. Ralph Mallicoat, Jr.
  President
  Liberty State Bank
  Lebanon, Tennessee 37087
  Telephone: (615) 536-5101

• Counterfeit cashier's checks drawn on Carolina Bank, Greensboro, North Carolina, are in circulation. The checks have an invalid routing number and invalid account number. Attached for your information is a copy of one of the counterfeit items.

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

  Ms. Sharon Williams
  Assistant Vice President
  Carolina Bank
  2604 Lawndale Drive
  Greensboro, North Carolina 27404
  Telephone: (336) 286-8738
  Fax: (336) 286-8758

• Counterfeit official checks drawn on The Peoples Bank & Trust Co., Tupelo, Mississippi, are in circulation. The bank telephone number printed on the checks is not a valid number for the bank. The checks also appear to be MICR encoded, but they are not. Attached for your information is a copy of one of the counterfeit items.

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

  Mr. Mike Wells
  The Peoples Bank & Trust Co.
  209 Troy Street
  Tupelo, Mississippi 38801-0209
  Telephone: (662) 680-1474
  Fax: (662) 680-1234
  

Information about these instruments also may be forwarded to the FDIC's Special Activities Section, 550 17th Street, NW, Room F-6012, Washington, DC 20429. Information also may be transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov .

For your reference, all FDIC Financial Institution Letters published since January of 1995 may be found on the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov under "News, Events & FOIA." To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Financial Institution Letters through e-mail, please visit http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/announcements/index.html .

Attachments (not available electronically)

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)

NOTE: Paper copies of FDIC financial institution letters may be obtained through the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (800-276-6003 or (703) 562-2200).