If a letter lands in your mailbox, on official-looking letterhead, informing you of a possible inheritance, contact the Federal Trade Commission. You're likely a target of a new wave of scams aimed at cleaning you out.

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Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato issued a warning today after hearing from several recipients of varoius documents. They risked falling prey in the newest variation of what's become known as the "Nigerian Scam," a ruse to capture your personal data and ultimately drain your credit and your cash reserves.

If you've been victimized, he wants to hear from you.

TD Scam Sample (Ocean Co. Prosecutor's Office)
TD Scam Sample (Ocean Co. Prosecutor's Office)
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A sample letter that Coronato distributed prominently features a TD Bank symbol, one of many logos easily found on the Internet and replicated. The return address on the envelope, he noted, was for Costco Wholesale.

The content is a promise of access to inheritance money because of a similarity in surnames - which no legitimate enterprise would actually do. The letter cautions against sharing the information with anyone until the money is received - which, investigators said, is a "huge red flag."

The documents are mostly fabricated by con artists outside US borders, and masked phone numbers and addresses increase the difficulty in tracking them.

Click here to reach the Federal Trade Commission web page. Contact the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office at 732-929-2027.

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