Each depositor insured to at least $250,000 per insured bank

AmericanWest Bank, Spokane, Washington, has reported to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution name "AMERICAWEST BANK, INC" are in circulation.

Counterfeit items are markedly dissimilar to authentic official bank checks and display an incorrect routing number of 125107037. Counterfeit items display the bank name as AMERICAWEST BANK, INC, in the upper-left corner (no "n" at the end of America) and include the wording "Cashier's Check" centered at the top of the check. Authentic checks display the bank logo and correct bank name AmericanWest Bank in the lower-left corner of the check. Copies of a counterfeit check and an authentic official bank check (void) are attached for your review.

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

Trish Christenson
Bank Operations Manager
AmericanWest Bank
9506 N. Newport Hwy.
Spokane, Washington 99218
Telephone: (509) 344-5301
Fax: (509) 465-9681
tchristenson@awbank.net

Information about these instruments may be forwarded to the FDIC's Special Activities Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-4040, Washington, D.C. 20429, or transmitted electronically to alert@fdic.gov. Information 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 website at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2004/index.html. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Attachment (not available electronically)

NOTE: As a security precaution, the FDIC does not post to its Web site online copies of fraudulent instruments or copies of the genuine instruments that have been counterfeited. This is to avoid attempts by others to use the electronic versions of these instruments to facilitate additional fraud. Printed copies of fraudulent instruments are mailed with the Special Alert letter to the financial institutions on the letter's distribution list (generally, FDIC-supervised banks – commercial and savings). Printed copies of the Special Alert and its attachment(s) may also be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (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)