The Farmington Police Department is warning residents of a mail scam in which people are being told they’ve inherited $18.5 million being held in a bank in Hong Kong.

The department has received several reports of the letters, which tell recipients that a relative has died and left the money for them, according to a news release Tuesday.

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

“Residents who receive these letters should be reminded of the old proverb, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” the department release said.