FARMINGTON — The Police Department has taken several reports of a new scam being mailed to area residents.

Letters have been sent that state a namesake of the recipient has died and left $18.5 million in a bank in Hong Kong, according to a news release from the Farmington department.

The author of the letter claims to be a Japanese national who has the key to releasing these funds to the recipient and encourages the recipient to make contact through an AOL email address provided in the letter.

Three residents brought letters to the police station Tuesday, Bonnie Pomeroy, secretary for the Police Department, said.

It looks like someone has purchased a mailing list for Farmington and is mass-mailing these letters out, she said.

“Residents who receive these letters should be reminded of the old proverb, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,'” the release states.

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