TFP and WACHA Expand FraudBAN in the Midwest

WACHA has joined as a Sponsor of the FraudBAN community to increase the number of states now utilizing the anti-fraud service to 18.

Skokie, IL and Brookfield, WI -- March 17, 2003 -- TFP, a division of Thomson Media, in a continuing effort to offer FraudBAN nationwide, has announced the addition of WACHA -- The Premier Payments Resource as a sponsor for its members.

The mission of The Premier Payments Resource is to provide high value, comprehensive solutions through quality products, education and services," said Kim A. Bruck, AAP, WACHAs Senior Director, Conference and Membership. According to the ABA Deposit Account Fraud Survey Report, attempted check fraud has doubled to $4.3 billion. WACHAs alliance with FraudBAN stemmed directly from a decision made by the Board of Directors to help its members in the education, prevention and prosecution of payments fraud."

Addressing a problem that costs financial institutions $698 million a year, FraudBAN (www.FraudBAN.com) is a nationwide information clearinghouse that facilitates real-time data sharing among banks, thrifts, credit unions and law enforcement agencies to thwart payment fraud and other white collar crimes. Perpetrators of fraud frequently use similar phony identification and account information at multiple institutions. Through FraudBAN, fraud cases are aggregated, compared, used to support the prosecution of criminals and assist in the prevention of fraud-related losses.

The FraudBAN repository database now boasts information on almost 28,000 checks totaling over $88 million of attempted fraud. With WACHAs participation, FraudBAN spans over 18 states, resulting in over 4,200 possible participating financial institutions that will help to increase the amount of data on fraudulent activity, leading to reduced fraud losses in the banking community.

Financial institutions across the country can 'blow the whistle on fraud by simply becoming members of the FraudBAN community. The greater the participation from financial institutions, the greater the value to banks, thrifts and credit unions," said Frederique Therond, product manager for TFP.

About TFP
TFP (www.tfp.com), a division of Thomson Media, is a leading provider of data and software solutions for financial and corporate institutions worldwide. TFPs product lines include Payment Efficiency, Risk Reduction, Marketing Services and Reference Tools for Banking. TFPs solutions assist in accurately originating payments to realize higher payment STP rates; facilitating the repair of rejected transactions; ensuring compliance with global anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism requirements and guidelines, including the USA PATRIOT Act, Bank Secrecy Act, Wolfsberg Principles and regulatory agencies such as the Financial Action Task Force and U.S. Treasurys OFAC. TFP also assists firms in avoiding and prosecuting financial fraud through FraudBAN (www.FraudBAN.com), an on-line communication vehicle for institutions to contribute information on fraudulent activity. TFP maintains the most authoritative and comprehensive databases of financial institutions globally and has been the official routing number registrar for the American Bankers Association since 1911. For more information, visit TFP on the Internet at www.tfp.com or call (847) 676-9600.

About Thomson Media
Thomson Media (www.thomsonmedia.com), a division of The Thomson Corporation, is a leading provider of information, data and software tools for professionals in the financial services and related technologies markets. Its primary products and businesses include: American Banker, Financial Planning, National Mortgage News, The Bond Buyer, Securities Industry News, The Global Banking Resource (www.tgbr.com), National Regulatory Services, Payments & Risk Solutions Products, Credit Card Management, and Sheshunoff Information Services. More than 750,000 clients use Thomson Medias publications, databases and work solutions worldwide.

About The Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation, with 2002 revenues of $7.8 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research and healthcare. The Corporations common shares are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges (TSX: TOC; NYSE: TOC).

About WACHA
WACHA -- The Premier Payments Resource (formerly known as the Wisconsin Automated Clearing House Association), is a not for profit service organization providing educational and informational resources to the nearly 400 financial institutions and other organizations that participate as members. Formed in 1984 WACHA's mission is to be the Premier Payments Resource for our Members and Clients by providing them with high value, comprehensive solutions through quality products, education and other services. For more information, call 262-796-0252, or visit www.wacha.org.

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