Known scams involve a secret shopper money transfer service, secret shopper gift card and automobile wrap advertising, the OCC says in Alert 2018-8. It says counterfeit checks resemble the bank’s authentic items but may be identified by the following traits:
Variation No. 1
- The check is light blue with a marbled background.
- The Notice to Customer section in the upper left-hand corner is void of any punctuation.
- The following security statement appears in a dark blue top border: “THIS DOCUMENT HAS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING. THE REVERSE SIDE INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL WATERMARK.”
Variation No. 2
- The check is light blue with a thin dark blue border.
- The Notice to Customer section in the upper left-hand corner is void of any punctuation.
- The following security statement appears in the top border: “WARNING: THIS DOCUMENT HAS SECURITY FEATURES IN THE PAPER.”
- A padlock icon and security statement are located within the right border.
Variation No. 3
- The Notice to Customer section in the upper left-hand corner is void of any punctuation.
- The following security statement appears in the top border: “FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, THE FACE OF THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING IN THE BORDER.”
- The following security statement appears in the bottom border between padlock icons: “SECURITY FEATURES INCLUDED. DETAILS ON BACK.”
The agency says checks presented to date have been made payable in amounts ranging from $750.99 to $4,108.11, with the majority bearing amounts under $3,000.
Counterfeit Cashier’s Checks of National United, Gatesville, Texas (OCC Alert 2018-8)