The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) says American Bank and Trust Company, N.A., of Davenport, Iowa, reports that counterfeit cashier’s checks using the bank’s vendor routing number of 071108834 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a number of online employment opportunity scams involving mystery shopping and automobile advertising wraps.
The counterfeit checks resemble the bank’s authentic items. They are blue in color, and some are known to contain a marbled background and a dark top border with the following security statement: “TO VERIFY AUTHENTICITY, SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR DESCRIPTION OF THE 11 SECURITY FEATURES.”
Checks presented to date have been made payable in amounts ranging from $995 to $3,450 with various remitter names, the OCC’s alert, released Tuesday, says.
According to the alert, potential victims of the mystery shopping scam have received correspondence accompanying the check, which contains the name of a nationally known retail store within the letterhead. The correspondence instructs the potential victim to confirm receipt of the packet (providing an email address and phone number where confirmation can be emailed or texted); to either cash or deposit the funds at his or her financial institution; to retain $450 for commission and fees; and to use the rest to conduct two wire transfers to the perpetrators at a well-known retail store, purportedly to survey the services of the money transfer center located within the retail store.
Potential victims of the car wrap scam have received correspondence accompanying the check, which contains the name of a nationally known brewing company within the letterhead. The potential victims are told to deposit the check into his or her bank account, to keep $400 of it and wire the rest to the perpetrators, purportedly to pay decal specialists who will be in contact with details on performing the automobile wrap. Contact information is provided.
The OCC announcement includes a list of federal agencies consumers should contact if they receive the counterfeit items.