How to spot unclaimed money scams

Unclaimed money scams and the FTC's warning

Scammers call, text, email or mail letters claiming you are owed unclaimed money, an inheritance or life insurance, to steal your money or personal information.

• Do not click links in unexpected texts or pay any 'processing' fee; the FTC says the government will not call or text asking you to pay to search for unclaimed funds.
• Search for yourself, for free, on your state's official .gov unclaimed property site (find it at unclaimed.org/search).
• Report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Official warning

What states warn about

• Alabama: The Treasury says "heir finder" companies cannot do anything you cannot do yourself for free, and Alabama never charges to return your property.
• Alaska: The state says you do not need a fee finder, there is no fee to claim, and it will not discuss your claim with a fee finder.
• Arizona: The Department of Revenue says it will never contact you about unclaimed property by text message, postcard or fax, and will never charge a fee. Real outreach comes only by mail or from its secure email address.
• Arkansas: The Auditor's office will never text you about unclaimed property. Such texts are a common scam.
• California: You do not have to use an investigator. You can claim your property yourself, free, on the Controller's website.
• Colorado: Real letters come from the Colorado Department of the Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division in Denver, and real checks come from the Office of the State Controller; searching and claiming is always free.
• Connecticut: If you get a check and think it might be a scam, call the Treasurer's unclaimed property team at 1-800-833-7318; claiming from the state is always free and you do not need to hire anyone.
• Delaware: Delaware never charges a fee to claim and never pays by wire or ACH; if you doubt a MONEY MATCH check, email [email protected] or call 302-577-8782.
• District of Columbia: The District never charges a fee to return your property. Finder agreements can carry big fees, so call the Unclaimed Property Unit at 202-442-8181 or search the site yourself first.
• Florida: The Department will never text you about abandoned property, and searching and claiming are always free; report anyone who says you must act fast or pay to search.
• Georgia: Finder letters must say in capital letters that they are a solicitation and not a state bill or document, and you never need a finder to claim your money for free.
• Illinois: Money Match letters and checks are real and safe to cash; if you are unsure, call the Unclaimed Property Division at 217-785-6998 or email [email protected].
• Iowa: The state says claiming is always free, calls Great Iowa Treasure Hunt Iowa's only legitimate source for unclaimed property, and asks you to contact the Treasurer's Office before you sign any deal with someone offering to recover your money for a fee.
• Kansas: The Treasurer's office never charges a fee; anyone asking for a fee to help you claim is not from the State Treasurer's Office.
• Kentucky: The Treasury will never ask for your credit card or bank information. Don't pay any website or company to search for or claim your property; the search is free.
• Maine: Claiming is free; if someone contacts you and wants a fee to help you claim, the state says to contact its office instead, because it does this at no charge.
• Maryland: The Comptroller says all of its claim services are free, so you never have to pay the state to get your money.
• Massachusetts: The Treasury says only FindMassMoney.gov and MissingMoney.com are legitimate free search sites. Never pay a fee in advance, and call the office before you sign any finder agreement.
• Michigan: Treasury says you never have to pay a finder's fee. The state charges nothing to search or claim, and it does not endorse any finders or locators.
• Minnesota: The state says it does not charge claimants anything to claim.
• Mississippi: The Treasury says anyone can file without a paid claim finder, and its staff will help you for free so you avoid finder fees.
• Missouri: The Treasurer's Office never charges to return unclaimed property, and claims are processed free of charge.
• Montana: The department says you do not need to pay a third party to claim your property; you can claim it for free through TAP.
• Nevada: If you get a Community Cashback letter, the Treasury says it is real, and you can check it by entering the claim number on the official claim-status page at nvup.gov.
• New Hampshire: If someone offers to help you recover money for a fee, the Treasury says to call its office first; claiming directly is free.
• New Jersey: The UPA never charges a fee to search for or claim your property.
• New Mexico: The state says searching and claiming are free, and locators are not affiliated with the Taxation and Revenue Department.
• New York: Beware of people who pretend to be the government and offer to send you unclaimed money for a fee or your personal information.
• North Dakota: The state warns that some websites ask for payment to get your money back. You should never have to pay to get your money, and ND Unclaimed Property will never ask you for money.
• Ohio: Ohio sends letters only on Department of Commerce letterhead, never asks for personal information by text, and you never have to pay a fee before getting your money.
• Oklahoma: The Treasurer's office will not call you asking for money or private information; if you get such a call, hang up and call 405-521-4273 yourself.
• Oregon: If you get a Checks Without Claims letter, you can confirm it's real at unclaimed.oregon.gov or by contacting [email protected]; filing a separate claim instead can delay your payment by 6 to 7 months.
• Pennsylvania: You can claim for free on your own; Treasury makes every payment to the claimant, never to a third-party finder.
• Rhode Island: Companies may offer to find your money for a fee, which is legal, but you can get 100% of it free by claiming yourself or calling the Unclaimed Property Division at (401) 462-7676.
• South Carolina: The program is free; if someone offers to recover your property for a fee, the state asks you to call it at 803-737-4771 before you sign anything.
• Tennessee: Claiming is free and has no deadline; never pay anyone to 'unlock,' 'release' or 'process' your funds, treat upfront-fee requests as a warning sign, and call 866-370-9429 to check any notice (real Treasury mail carries the state seal).
• Texas: You do not have to sign a contract with a private company to claim your money; searching and claiming through the Comptroller is free.
• Utah: There is no fee to claim, and you can verify any MyCash letter or email by checking its Claim ID on the official claim-status page or calling 801-715-3300.
• Vermont: The Treasurer warns that some websites and phone callers asking for payment up front can be fraudulent; the state never charges you a fee to get your money back.
• Virginia: Treasury says claiming is a free public service and warns you to watch out for unauthorized fee-based services.
• Washington: The state says you never need to pay a finder's fee: searching and filing a claim is free. In fiscal 2025 it denied $7.2 million in claims flagged as potentially fraudulent.
• West Virginia: The Treasurer's Office never charges a fee to search or claim and never sends owners to a third party; if someone offers to find your property for a fee, call the office.
• Wisconsin: DOR stresses that you do not need to pay a third party to claim your property; filing your own claim is free.