Guide
You got a letter about unclaimed money. Now what?
Someone wrote to you about money you did not know you had. Here is how to check it without giving anyone anything.
Why you got it
State unclaimed property records are public. Several states publish their entire database, and anyone can download it. Recovery firms read those files, find records worth pursuing, and write to the address on the record — which is usually an address you left years ago, which is exactly why the money ended up with the state in the first place.
So the letter is not evidence that anything has been hacked, leaked or stolen. It means your name appears in a public government file.
Verify the record first, decide about the sender second
Take the amount and the company name from the letter. Go to your state’s official unclaimed property site — type it in yourself, do not use a link from the letter — and search your name.
If the record is there, the money is real regardless of what you think of the sender. If it is not, you have learned everything you need to know.
Then you have three options, and all three are fine
- Claim it yourself, free, directly with the state. Best choice for a simple claim in your own name.
- Use the firm that wrote to you, if their terms are fair — a capped percentage, nothing up front, nothing owed if it fails.
- Use a different firm. You are under no obligation to the one that found you, and their fees are not all the same.
Read the fee before anything else
Every state caps what a recovery firm may charge, from 5% to 30% depending on where you are. A firm quoting 30% may be entirely legal and still a bad deal when the cap in your state is 10% and other firms will do it for that.
And check the timing rule: most states void any agreement signed within 24 months of the property reaching the state. A letter that arrives with the money still inside that window is a letter you can safely ignore for a while.
Do not send anyone money
A legitimate firm is paid out of the recovered amount, after the state has paid you. If the letter — or the phone call that follows it — asks for anything up front, that is the fraud version, and the underlying record being real is exactly what makes it convincing.
Common questions
How did they get my name and address?
From a public state government file. Several states publish their whole unclaimed property database for anyone to download, precisely so that owners can be found. The address they wrote to is the one on the record, which is usually an old one.
Do I have to use the company that contacted me?
No. You are under no obligation whatsoever. You can claim it yourself for free, use a different firm, or do nothing — the money stays with the state indefinitely either way.
Is it suspicious that they knew the exact amount?
No — that is a good sign. The amount is published in the public record, and a firm willing to tell you the exact figure is giving you everything you need to verify it and to cut them out if you want to. Vagueness is the warning sign, not specificity.
What if I ignore it?
Nothing happens. Unclaimed property does not expire and the state does not take ownership. The only cost of ignoring it is that you do not get your money.
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General information about state unclaimed property law, not legal advice. Rules vary by state and change; the controlling text is always the statute of the state holding the property. Last reviewed September 2026.
Find My Unclaimed is a private company. We are not a government agency and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any state treasurer, controller, or unclaimed property office. You always have the right to file your own claim directly with the state for free.