Skip to main content
OCC Flag

An official website of the United States government

Alert 2021-5 | December 9, 2021

Unauthorized Banking: Amarico Trust Bank

To

Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks and Federal Savings Associations; All State Banking Authorities; Chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chair, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (Districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsels; and All Examining Personnel

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has been informed that an entity using the name “Amarico Trust Bank” and branding itself as “AmTrust Bank,” an inactive institution, is misrepresenting itself as a national bank. The fictitious entity has been using a foreign-hosted website designed to obtain information to likely perpetrate identity theft. Amarico Trust Bank has purported to be a financial institution offering business banking services; however, this entity is not a licensed or chartered bank.

The domain used by this fictitious entity is [amaricotrustbank.com], which contains spoofed information, including a mailing address, of a legitimate financial institution. Consumers receiving email correspondence from this entity should consider the messages to be fictitious and should not respond.

The OCC recommends that consumers victimized by this scam file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:

  • OCC: by email at occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov; or by fax to (571) 293-4925.
  • U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General (OIG): by telephone at (800) 359‑3898 or by visiting the OIG website.
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at (877) FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC’s website.
  • National Consumers League (NCL): by telephone at (202) 835-3323 or by email. To file a fraud complaint, visit the NCL fraud website.
  • Better Business Bureau (BBB): The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers. The website offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than 2 million businesses, consumer scam alerts, and tips on a wide variety of topics that help consumers find trustworthy businesses and make wise purchasing decisions.
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (to report scams that may have originated via the internet).
  • If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by telephone at (888) 877-7644; by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100; or via the online complaint form.

For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's Fraud Resources page, which also can be found on OCC.gov.

Monica A. Freas
Director of Enforcement

Topic(s):