Alert 2004-2
OCC Alert
Subject: Fictitious E-mails
Description: Fictitious e-mails to financial
institution customers
Date: January 23, 2004

TO:	Chief Executive Officers of All National
Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation;
Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy
Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy
Comptrollers; District Counsel and Examining Personnel

RE:	Fictitious e-mails to financial institution
customers, fraudulently claiming to be from the OCC
and FDIC in an attempt to obtain sensitive personal
and bank account information.

On January 23, 2004, the Office of the Comptroller of 
the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (FDIC) began receiving complaints from
consumers who received an e-mail that has the appearance
of being sent from the FDIC and OCC.  The e-mail
falsely states that the Director of the Department
of Homeland Security has advised the FDIC to suspend
all deposit insurance on the e-mail recipient’s bank
account due to suspected violations of the USA PATRIOT
Act. The e-mail further falsely states that deposit
insurance will be suspended until personal identity,
including bank account information, can be verified. 
This e-mail was not sent by the FDIC or the OCC and 
is a fraudulent attempt to obtain personal information
from consumers. Financial institutions and consumers
should NOT access the link provided within the body of
the email and should NOT provide any personal
information to the sender of the e-mail. 
Please report these fraudulent practices by going to
the Internet Fraud Complaint Center Web site at:
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp and follow the 
instructions for filing a complaint.  In addition,
the FDIC has asked that copies be sent to:  alert@fdic.gov.

Any additional information that you may have concerning
this matter should be brought to the attention of:
Mail:	Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
	Enforcement & Compliance Division, MS 8-10
	250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC   20219
	Fax:	(202) 874-5301
Internet:	http://www.occ.treas.gov
E-mail:	occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov



Brian C. McCormally
Director, 
Enforcement & Compliance Division