State Treasurer Warns of Unclaimed Property Email Scam

JEFFERSON CITY–Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel is warning residents of an email scam that claims recipients will receive $2.8 million in unclaimed property found in a metal trunk.

The email asks recipients to provide their personal identification information, spokesman Jon Galloway said in a news release. 

"The email is used to steal personal information,” Zweifel said in the news release.

Residents should recognize the two practices for an unclaimed property scam—unsolicited emails asking for personal information and an offer to return lost property for a fee, Zweifel said.

“My team does not send unsolicited emails asking for personal information. I never charge a fee and will never direct someone to a third-party charging a fee,” he said.

Anyone receiving those emails should call the treasurer’s office at 573-751-0123, Zweifel said.

The scam mentioned above claims that the director of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators is working with the FBI to return $2.8 million found with the recipient’s email address and name attached, said a news release from the treasurer's office.

The scam further requests private information, including the recipient’s full name, address, telephone number, age and occupation, according to the news release. People responding are then directed to call an attorney in the United Kingdom to provide personal financial information.

The respondent then is charged high fees for the call, Zweifel said.

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators never notifies individuals of unclaimed property, the news release said. That duty is the responsibility of state treasurers and administrators. The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center have been informed of the scam.

Zweifel, who is a member of the association, said that the state treasurers office only sends emails in response to questions. Zweifel also said his office will work with an individual who has already begun the claims process or to let individuals who have registered for email notifications know of recently added unclaimed property.

People should also report suspicious Unclaimed Property emails to the Internet Crime Complaint Center or the Federal Trade Commission.