Alert 2021-1| February 17, 2021
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 of National Bank and Trust and reporting to be located at 255 California Street #9, San Francisco, Calif., is misrepresenting itself as a national bank. National Bank and Trust purports to be a financial institution offering business banking services. This entity is not a licensed or chartered bank.
Consumers have reported receiving telephone calls claiming the individuals have won sweepstakes prizes. In order to collect the prize, potential victims are informed that a large-dollar fee must first be paid. Shortly after receiving the prize notification, potential victims have been receiving unsolicited telephone calls from an individual using the name of Tom Sawyer and purporting to be an officer with the National Bank and Trust. Mr. Sawyer claims to want to assist the individuals in securing financing to pay this required fee.
The domains in use by this fictitious entity are [nationalbankandtrust.com] and [bknationalus.com]. Consumers receiving email correspondence from either of these domains should consider the messages to be fictitious and should not respond. Telephone numbers associated with this entity are: (415) 363-0161 and 1 (877) 975-8147.
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; by fax to (571) 293-4925; or by calling the Special Supervision Division at (202) 649-6450.
- 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 can also be found from visiting OCC.gov.
Monica A. Freas
Director for Enforcement