Counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the name Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Barbara, California, are reportedly in circulation

Special Alerts

SA-35-2011
November 15, 2011

TO: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (also of interest to Security Officer)SUBJECT: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks Summary: Counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the name Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Barbara, California, are reportedly in circulation.

Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Barbara, California, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 122234783, which is assigned to Montecito Bank & Trust. The items are similar to authentic cashier's checks; however, they display a security feature statement along the bottom border between two padlock icons.

Authentic cashier's checks display a heat-sensitive security feature above the bottom border.

Copies of a counterfeit item and an authentic check (VOID) are attached for your review. Be aware that the appearance of counterfeit items can be modified and that additional variations may be presented.

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

Jeremy Johnson
Vice President and Director of Security
Montecito Bank & Trust
PO Box 2460
Santa Barbara, California 93120
Telephone: (800) 348-0146
Fax: (805) 965-9788
E-mail: Security@montecito.com

Information about counterfeit items, cyber-fraud incidents, and other fraudulent activity may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber-Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 3501 North Fairfax Drive, CH-11034, Arlington, Virginia 22226, or transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov. Questions related to federal deposit insurance or consumer issues should be submitted to the FDIC using an online form that can be accessed at http://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2011/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Sandra L. ThompsonDirector
Division of Risk Management Supervision

Attachment (not available electronically)

NOTE: As a security precaution, the FDIC does not post to its Web site electronic images of fraudulent items or authentic checks that have been counterfeited. This is to avoid attempts by others to use these instruments to facilitate additional fraud. Financial institutions can view images of the fraudulent items and authentic checks (marked as VOID) using the FDIC's free, secure Web site, FDICconnect. (See more information about FDICconnect at http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06032.html.) Printed copies of each Special Alert and its attachment(s) may also be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center (telephone: 1-877-275-3342 or 703-562-2200; fax: 703-562-2296; or e-mail: publicinfo@fdic.gov).

Distribution: FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)