The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been informed by the USAA Federal Savings Bank, San Antonio, Texas, that a number of the bank's credit cards have been stolen from the mail in the upper New England area.

Cash advances of between $2,500 and $4,800 each have been obtained at various banks in Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia and Florida. Other activity has been attempted in Saudi Arabia. The suspects are West Africans using counterfeit driver's licenses from New York, Virginia and Texas. The suspects apparently compromised the legitimate cardholders' personal information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, to activate the cards. Banks are urged to closely scrutinize requests for cash advances from noncustomers, particularly those using out-of-state driver's licenses, and to obtain additional identification, if necessary.

Any questions or information you may have about this matter should be directed to:

Information about this matter also may be forwarded to the FDIC's Special Activities Section, 550 17th Street, NW, Room F-6012, Washington, DC 20429. For your reference, all FDIC Financial Institution Letters published since January of 1995 may be found on the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov under "News, Events & FOIA."

Distribution: FDIC-Insured Institutions

NOTE: Paper copies of FDIC financial institution letters may be obtained through the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (800-276-6003 or (703) 562-2200).