A letter purported to be from TD Canada promising to share $9.2 million from the account of a deceased account holder with a similar name is nothing more than a scam according to Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato.

Several county residents have received the letter which Coronato said is nothing more than another version of the "Nigerian Scam."

The Nigerian Scam promises a percentage of a large amount of money in return for helping to discreetly move the funds to the United States according to snopes.com, which said it's also known as the 419 or "Advance Fee Fraud" scheme. Coronato said the letter is nothing more than a "phishing scam" to steal personal information or money.

The current letter "states to not disclose these accounts to anyone until the money is received which is a huge red flag. They promise access to inheritance money because of a similar last name, which no legitimate company would ever actively seek to disperse," Coronato said.

He said the scam uses programs that mask real phone numbers and locations.

"This makes the investigation and prosecution difficult and recovering your money virtually impossible," Coronato said.

Anyone who receives these documents should report them to the Federal Trade Commission website at ftc.gov. If you are victimized by the scam call the Office of the Ocean County Prosecutor at 732-929-2027.

 

More From Beach Radio