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

Castle Bank & Trust Company, Meriden, Connecticut, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that fraudulent cashier's checks bearing the bank's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the proper routing number of 011110620, which is assigned to Castle Bank & Trust Company. The counterfeit and authentic checks are markedly dissimilar. Authentic checks contain the bank's logo on the upper-left side of the check. The words "Official Check" appear in the top, center portion of the authentic checks. Authentic checks do not contain an address or telephone number. Counterfeit checks do not display the bank's logo and are referred to as "Cashier's Check." Bank management has reported that the telephone number printed on the counterfeit checks is answered with the bank's name, although the number is not associated with the bank. Copies of a counterfeit item and an authentic item (VOID) are attached for your review.

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

Robert Nixon
Vice President
Castle Bank & Trust Company
100 Hanover Street
Meriden, Connecticut 06451
Telephone: (203) 639-2806
Fax: (203) 639-2808
Email: bnixon@castlebank.biz

Information about these instruments may be forwarded to the FDIC's Cyber Fraud and Financial Crimes Section, 550 17th Street, N.W., Room F-4004, 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 Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2005/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)