Have you seen these guys? Updated June 30, 2009
Be on the lookout for the individuals pictured in our collection of bank robbery suspect photos from banks robbed in the last month.
Washed Bills
A current discussion in one of the security forums on Bankers' Threads deals with the proliferation of counterfeits that consist of higher denomination images printed over bleached small bills. Most bankers are quite familiar with this fraud, and we've been writing about it since 2002. (See "Wrong President.") We are thinking the majority of the losses from these bogus bills will fall on merchants. Have you alerted your commercial customers to this threat and urged them to train their own employees to spot the fakes?
Bank robbery is a serious threat, but a quality bullet-resistant barrier system can provide the protection your employees need and the unhindered access your customers expect. Total Security Solutions can work with you to design a customized barrier system for your unique facility needs, in new construction or renovation/retrofit. For a free quote or product brochure, visit www.demandtss.com, email us at info@demandtss.com or call 1-800-513-1468.
Full details of the security features in our currency are available for download through the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Two fun quizzes are available from BankersOnline to help reinforce what should be seen on the various denominations. Try them -- and make them available to your commercial customers, too.
Back of the Bill and Know Your Money Quiz
New Pics in the Robbery Suspects Gallery The BankersOnline Bank Robbery page, has a whole new collection of photos and information on the latest bank robbery suspects. You'll find almost a hundred bandit pictures to circulate to your staff. Last month, we opened for discussion the idea of people wearing medical masks into the bank, because of the flu pandemic scare, and asked if we should expect some smart robbers to take advantage of the fact that we might tend to treat a medical mask as being less ominous than, for example, a ski mask? A recent robbery in Choctaw, OK, has made a few people sit up, take notice and think again! Go look!
Alerts & Counterfeits We at BOL do our best to provide you with the Alerts and Counterfeits information as soon as it is released by the regulatory agencies, and we know that criminals don't wait for the end of the month to commit their crimes, but that certainly is when information on them is released. Twelve were published in just one day. Dealing with that many emails can be burdensome, so we have them listed for you in one easy to locate Alerts & Counterfeits page and of course, they are always recapped in the Compliance Briefing, published each business day.
Twenty-six notices were sent in May. These notices were released on four different dates and all were a mix of mostly counterfeit cashier's checks and official checks, with one accounts payable check and one expense check. On May 28th there were 12 FDIC notices, two from the OCC on May 27th, 9 FDIC notices on May 20th with one being an Accounts Payable item, and the remaining three were from the FDIC on May 8th.
While any bank can receive a counterfeit check from any other bank, the 26 items this month were from 18 different states. Some checks are very convincing, but with a little research, you'll detect the differences, such as:
First National Bank of Olathe. The counterfeit items are nearly identical to authentic cashier's checks; however, in the upper-left corner the address is shown in Overland Park, Kansas instead of Olathe.
Citizens State Bank has counterfeit official checks, but CSB does not issue official checks, but they do issue cashier's checks.
The thieves added security features to the Kleberg First National Bank of Kingsville counterfeit expense checks. The fake checks says "THE FACE OF THIS DOCUMENT HAS A COLORED BACKGROUND ON WHITE PAPER AND ORGINAL DOCUMENT SECURITY SCREEN ON BACK WITH PADLOCK SECURITY ICON." The italicized text doesn't appear on the real expense checks.
The counterfeit cashier's checks thieves are passing on the Prime Alliance Bank, misspell "Aliance."
BOL CrimeDex - Something for Everyone "Variety" is the word that comes to mind when we review the types of financial fraud chronicled by BOL CrimeDex. The past month's CrimeDex alerts reflect criminals' wide-ranging attempts to profit at the expense of others.
The past month's CrimeDex alerts reflect criminals' wide-ranging attempts to profit at others' expense. In Askov, Minnesota, one suspect asked to open a new account before his accomplice brandished a semi-automatic weapon to announce the duo's true intentions. Another alert announced the arrest of an ATM/debit card skimming group based in Miami that had grabbed card data at ATMs across the country. The group had technical support from Romanian nationals. CrimeDex members in the Northeast received an alert asking for help identifying a woman involved in a nationwide account takeover ring that has made off with several hundred thousand dollars. Finally, a New England bank reported that a man posing as a U.S. Marshal investigating counterfeit currency had bilked a local merchant out of $900 from his cash register, and conned another into withdrawing over $5,000 in cash from his business account.
This month's sampler of CrimeDex alerts illustrates the variety of ways that crooks use to steal from banks, businesses and individuals. To identify and capture those bank robbers, scam artists and petty thieves takes a variety of techniques, too. One of the most potent weapons in the security officer's arsenal is communication with others facing the same threats. CrimeDex alerts are all about communication among a network of law enforcement, financial institutions and businesses in order to detect and prevent crime, and to bring those involved in bank robberies, fraud and other financial crimes to justice. Subscribers to BOL CrimeDex receive national and regional alerts that can help them in that communication effort.
BOL CrimeDex is a subscription-based network of fraud investigation services for the Financial Services Industry. To learn about the BOL CrimeDex service and read what actual customers say about it, click here.
Another powerful security communication tool is the exchange of concerns, techniques and experience found in the Security Forums of BOL Bankers' Threads. The Public Security forum often features discussions about such diverse topics as the latest wrinkles on scams, data breaches, and identity theft. The Private Security forum -- open only to bankers -- provides insights into security concerns like ATM skimming, security vendors, closing procedures and other topics better discussed away from public view. If you don't yet have access to Bankers' Threads Private Forums, click here to learn how to gain admission.
Robbery Deterrent Signs
Remind would-be criminals coming in to your institution that they're likely to have their image captured on your surveillance cameras -- and that crimes against your institution are investigable by the FBI. These "print-it-yourself" signs from BOL provide another tool for deterring robbers.
Bank robberies are up this year in New York City (for more info, check out the BOL Security Blog) . That's the bad news. The good news is that bankers in New York have been working very hard with law enforcement to combat this crime wave. The New York Bankers Association has adopted a 15-point list of "Best Practices" to help deter bank robberies. Check it out! Robbery Deterrence: 15-Point List of Best Practices
To stay informed about what's going on in the area of bank robberies, fraud and bank security, be sure to check out: BOL Bank Security Blog. We scour the news to find the latest reports on robberies and such, and we deliver it with our own special twist and insight. You'll find it updated often.
Bank Robbery, International Style
Bank robberies, regardless of where perpetrated, always rely on intimidation and threats. Guru Barry Thompson's article reveals some astounding differences between bank robbery methods and responses between the U.S. and Japan. Read Bank Robbery Response.
Reward Program Pays Off
Since 1991, Wells Fargo's robbery reward program has resulted in the capture of 228 robbery suspects with an average cost of $3,294 per captured robber. What a bargain!
Reward Program Pays Off.
Dealing with the Aftermath After a robbery or other critical incident, affected employees may experience a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms. These resources, from Lawrence Brock, can help the employees understand what they are experiencing, and can help employees not directly affected know what to say and how to listen.
-- Specific Ways to Cope with Stress
-- Tips for Listening
-- Signs of Grief/Loss
-- Avoiding Secondary Wounding
-- How to help
Bank Security Program Policy - approximately 15 page template covering topics ranging from Key and Combination Control to Cash Shipments and Requirements, Bank Robberies and more.
Security Program Manual
Complete, model security program from Dana Turner created in template form, with policies and procedures from both security and operations functions. Coverage includes all functions, department, facilities and record and asset control. Addresses routine operations techniques and the three types of internal and external crimes.
No one wants to think robbery can happen. But it can -- and does.
If everyone who works in a financial institution office is not prepared to handle a robbery and stay in control, the results can be deadly.
This tape, used along with the accompanying training workbook, (and documented), can provide your institution with the robbery response training required by the Bank Protection Act.
Workplace Violence: It can happen to you - training video
From Bankers Video Library.
Surviving a violent event requires both individual and team efforts. Learning simple, effective survival techniques could save your life-and the lives of your co-workers and your customers. This tape, used along with the accompanying training workbook, (and documented), can provide your institution with the robbery response training required by the Bank Protection Act.
How Observant Are You?
Test your observation skills (and your reflexes!) with these two original games from BankersOnline.com.
Face Memory Challenge - Look at a face. Try to memorize each feature. Click a button. The face is gone and you must rebuild it, piece by piece. Test your skills in our Face Memory Challenge!
Picture Memory - Get your clicking finger ready and snap into maximum concentration mode as you prepare to play Picture Memory. Warning! It's addictive!
BankersOnline is a free service made possible by the generous support of our advertisers and sponsors. Advertisers and sponsors are not responsible for site content. Please help us keep BankersOnline FREE to all banking professionals. Support our advertisers and sponsors by clicking through to learn more about their products and services.
Print Friendly Version!
Email This Article!
Discuss NOW!
The BankersOnline 
Another powerful security communication tool is the exchange of concerns, techniques and experience found in the Security Forums of BOL Bankers' Threads. The 
To stay informed about what's going on in the area of bank robberies, fraud and bank security, be sure to check out: 
