COUNTERFEIT CHECK SCAM
Chartis has received information about an ongoing counterfeit check scam impacting  individuals and entities in Canada and the United States.  As part of the scam, individuals are receiving mailings containing fraudulent checks and are being asked to deposit the check, retain a share of the proceeds, and then provide the remainder to the perpetrator.  While new variations of the counterfeit  check scam are surfacing, the common link involved in these scams is that the check appears to be authentic as written from “Chartis Insurance Company of Canada” and purportedly being drawn from its account at “Royal Bank of Canada.”  The public is being made aware that Chartis does not require that you deposit a check and provide a portion of the proceeds to others, and Chartis has no connection to any such program as described above.  If you or someone you know receives one of these counterfeit checks, do not attempt to deposit the check and immediately terminate contact with any party involved.  We urge you not to supply any personal information such as bank accounts, credit card numbers, or social security numbers.  Chartis is investigating this matter in conjunction with various law enforcement agencies.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
Fraudsters often create a sense of urgency to provoke you to take action immediately.  First, consider carefully whether Chartis would have made such a request.  Second, if you are in doubt as to whether communications with a person purporting to act on behalf of Chartis are legitimate, do not respond to it.  In any cases of uncertainty, a safe alternative is to contact Chartis directly as listed below with any inquiries.

If you receive any communication that you believe to be suspicious and connected to fraudulent activities, you may forward it to the AIG Internal Audit Investigative Group by e-mail at aig.iaig@aig.com or to AIG’s Corporate Compliance Group: corporatelegalcompliance@aig.com.

ABOUT CHARTIS
Chartis is a world leading property-casualty and general insurance organization serving more than 70 million clients around the world.  With one of the industry’s most extensive ranges of products and services, deep claims expertise and excellent financial strength, Chartis enables its commercial and personal insurance clients alike to manage virtually any risk with confidence.

Chartis is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty and general insurance operations of Chartis Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.chartisinsurance.com.  All products are written by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of Chartis Inc.  Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions and is subject to actual policy language.  Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain coverage may be provided by a surplus lines insurer.  Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.