PITTSBURGH — Forty thousand Pennsylvanians are getting letters in the mail telling them they are entitled to unclaimed property, and Target 11 has learned schemers are trying to get their hands on that cash.
Consumer Investigator Robin Taylor uncovers what’s going on.
The letters from the Treasury Department are legitimate, but here's what you need to know: If you're contacted by a company offering to help you get the cash, use caution.
You don't need to pay a private company a finder's fee to get that cash or property from inside the treasury vault. You can claim your property for free by contacting the Treasury's Return Team.
If you do go through a service, the most they can charge you is 15 percent.
"Any time that there's free money that people are rightfully entitled to, there are always scammers that are willing to come out of the woodwork and try and obtain that money," said Caitlin Vancas, a spokeswoman for the Pittsburgh Better Business Bureau.
The Better Business Bureau says if you get a call from someone saying they have your unclaimed property, hang up -- They're probably after your bank account number. The Treasury Department doesn’t need that information. They’ll mail you a check.
To see if you're owed money, click on this link.