By David Madden

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) — If you have recently received correspondence from the New Jersey attorney general’s office saying that you’re eligible to take part in a mega financial settlement, don’t believe it.

It’s a scam, according to the real attorney general.

The 11-page letter sure looks authentic, and suggests there’s a quarter-billion dollar investment settlement that you might be part of.

The letter is signed by “Attorney General Edward Thomson.”  The actual New Jersey attorney general — whose name is Jeffrey Chiesa — says he is working on finding the faker:

“You’d think they might have bothered, if they’re going to go to the lengths that they did in this scam, to figure out who the attorney general was,” he said incredulously to KYW Newsradio.

Chiesa’s office has gotten phone calls from as far away as Baltimore.  And the scam letter was dated last Tuesday, so this is moving fast.

His advice on any scam like this — and there are lots of them — is, don’t just hand over cash or personal information. Ask lots of questions, and if you have any doubts at all, contact law enforcement.