Some Unclaimed Property Finders Working Scam
You have probably seen ads or gotten an email informing you that the State of Louisiana has unclaimed property in your name. As a matter of fact, I received just such a letter about a year ago. It was real, and I claimed my property and all was well. Sadly, not all so-called "finders" are for real, and that leads us to the latest scam in the area.
Using information that is readily available to the public, these scammers get in touch with unsuspecting victims and proceed to tell them that they have money waiting for them. All they have to do is use the scammer's service to get their property. Don't fall for such a come-on. A database of Unclaimed Property records is kept by the state of Louisiana, and is available to the public for free.
The scammers know these records are public, so all they do is go through the list and start calling people who actually have unclaimed property. The scammer then offers to help the intended victim claim their property or money. The thing is that, unluike the real finders who may charge you a small fee, the scammers are greedy, and charge well over the legal 10%.
Merely looking for people who have unclaimed funds or property or helping them claim the property is not illegal. Where these scammer cross the line is charging a great deal more than the legal 10%. If you should get a call in the next few weeks about unclaimed property, keep in mind that, even if the company calling you is legit, you can go online and claim that property for yourself.
Here is the link to the site where you can see if you have any unclaimed property.