At least three variations of counterfeit cashier’s checks using the routing number (111904419) of National United, a bank in Gatesville, Texas, are being presented nationwide in connection with various online employment opportunity scams, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) warned in an alert issued Thursday.
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)