If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

That certainly applies to the sophisticated scams that keep cropping up lately - especially during the recent holiday season.

Here's how most of them work, according to Capt. Richard Talbert of the Moore County Sheriff's Office: You receive a letter, phone call or e-mail message from an official-sounding organization telling you that you have a bunch of money coming. All you have to do is send some of your own money to cover a "processing fee."

Don't do it. Any strangers who ask you to send money under such terms are out to cheat you. Ignore them and report them to the authorities.