Washington state officials have ordered a Las Vegas and Seattle Internet financial company to "cease and desist" violating securities laws by using Web sites that look as if they belong to a bank or thrift, a Washington official confirmed Wednesday.

The Web sites, federalsavingsllc.com and two similar sites, have been soliciting investments in the form of six-month certificates that promise yields of 6.25 percent to 8.85 percent from individual investors since January.

"The Web sites are misleading investors that Federal Savings and First Bancshares are banking institutions, have significant financial backing, are affiliated with publicly traded financial institutions, have an operating history, and are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)," the securities division order says.

Washington state Securities Administrator Michael Stevenson signed the order March 8, directing Federal Savings to stop offering the investments, which some may think are federally insured bank certificates of deposits.

Federal law prohibits the use of "federal" in names of financial organizations like this, said Brad Williamson, director of the Washington division of banks.

A button on the Web site was titled "About FDIC," but people who clicked on the button were advised that Federal Savings is not an institution insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which backs deposits at banks and thrifts.

Williamson said he believes much, if not all of the money from investors, is in Federal Savings accounts deposited at commercial banks that do have federal deposit insurance.

One of Federal Savings' Web sites says that the company stopped taking applications from investors on Tuesday.

Williamson declined to estimate the amount of money that investors from around the country may have entrusted with Federal Savings.

Steven Kondrup, interim commissioner of the Nevada Financial Institutions Division, had little comment Tuesday on Federal Savings.

"I do know that another division of the state is performing investigations with regards to (Federal Savings)," Kondrup said, declining to identify the state agency.

Clark County District Attorney David Roger said he didn't know of any case involving Federal Savings, but he said his office relies on law enforcement agencies to investigate cases.

Nicole Moon, a representative of state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, said she could neither confirm nor deny there are any in progress investigations of Federal Savings.

The Washington state cease-and-desist order names Federal Savings LLC, First Bancshares, JMA Northwest Investments and Jeremy Stamper.

Attempts to reach Stamper, who has an address in Seattle, for comment failed.

But Federal Savings also filed as a limited liability company with the Nevada secretary of state's office and lists an address in Las Vegas. That address is the office of Nevada First Holdings of Las Vegas, Federal Savings' resident agent.

Wayne McMiniment, a spokesman for Nevada First Holdings, said his office received a certified letter notifying Federal Savings of Washington state's order. McMiniment said he forwarded the information to Federal Savings and will no longer act as resident agent for Federal Savings.

"This is just goofy," McMiniment said of Federal Savings. "This is not intelligent, just stupid."

Members of the U.S. Senate Permanent Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing late last year over concerns about secrecy over ownership and managers of corporations and limited liability companies that register with the Nevada's secretary of state's office and with similar agencies in other states.