Money due you: Check for 'unclaimed property'

Lea Thompson Chief consumer correspondent • Profile

Welcome to the wonderful little secret called unclaimed property: It could be an old paycheck, stock note, or inheritance that’s owed to you.  When no one claims these valuables, they’re eventually turned over to a state— where they may languish for years.  On “Dateline,” we showed how you may be able to find that forgotten treasure on your own. 

Most states don’t have the staff come out and find you.  But if it’s there, you can find it on your own. 

All you have to do is use the links above, or log onto unclaimed.org (not unclaimed.com). Just pick a state you or any member of your family has ever worked in or played in, type in the name, and within seconds you can find out if this is your lucky day. It is all absolutely free, and you should exercise caution in accepting any offers from paid finders. (Also note that unclaimed.org seems to be experiencing some technical difficulties, so you may have to check back at a later time.)

You can also use this link to be directed to the unclaimed property Web sites of 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

And don’t say “it could never happen to me.” Some states have billions of dollars to give away. Some people never dreamed there was money just waiting for them... that is, until the day “Dateline” came knocking on their doors.

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