State Treasurer Rob McCord Warns Consumers About Fraudulent Email Promising Millions in Unclaimed Property

Says safest, surest way to find what belongs to you is PA Treasury Department

Harrisburg, PA,  Aug. 8, 2011 – State Treasurer Rob McCord today warned Pennsylvanians to be on the lookout for a fraudulent, unsolicited email that is making its way to inboxes around the world. The email, purportedly from the director of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), suggests the recipient is owed $2.8 million in cash from an abandoned shipment at Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, Ga.

“This email spam really validates the old adage, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,’” said Treasurer McCord. “If this email finds its way into your inbox, you should ignore it – and you certainly should not respond with the personal information it requests.”

Treasurer McCord explained that the email asks recipients to reply with their full name, address, telephone number, age, and occupation. Those who have responded to the email reportedly receive a poorly worded response directing the targeted person to provide additional information to an attorney in the United Kingdom.

While NAUPA is a legitimate organization, Treasurer McCord said it typically does not contact those owed unclaimed property.

“NAUPA – which brought this scam to our attention – is a great organization that does a lot of good work supporting state government unclaimed property programs, but the association generally does not reach out to citizens proactively to alert them of outstanding claims,” said Treasurer McCord. “That is our job here at Treasury, and it is one that we pride ourselves in doing well.

“Email scams such as this undermine the good public service we try to offer by reuniting people with property that rightfully belongs to them.”

Many companies offer to reunite people with unclaimed property for a fee, Treasurer McCord said, but any person or organization can search for property free at www.patreasury.org. Treasury estimates that about 1 in 10 Pennsylvanians has property waiting to be claimed.

Since taking office, the McCord Treasury has returned more than $235 million in unclaimed property to its rightful owners.

For more information on the Unclaimed Property Program or to search for property that belongs to you, visit www.patreasury.org.

Media contact:
Michael Smith
717-787-2991 
news@patreasury.org

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