This letter is not a scam -- it's legit!
KIRKLAND - With so many scams floating around lately, we rarely come across an offer that turns out to be legit, but I checked into a notice that's been hitting mailboxes across the state and if you get this letter, you do not want to throw it away.
It's from the State Department of Revenue and says you have unclaimed money coming. It asks for a lot of personal information and that's what triggers the red flags for some consumers.
But it turns out, this one is on the up and up.
Suspicious at first
As soon as Judy Bloom opened the letter, she smelled a rat.
"It says I'm to get $712.37," Judy said from her home office in Kirkland.
The letter has state logo and looks official, but Judy wondered, why would the state government ask for her Social Security number on a mail-in form?
"You know, the red flag went up," she said.
Concerned about all the "look-alike" mail, e-mail and phone calls that turn out to be true scams, I checked with the state -- and it turns out this is the real deal.
The Department of Revenue mails between 50,000 and 100,000 claim forms a year to get people to claim money and property they've forgotten about.
This year, for the first time, the notices direct you to the state's unclaimed property Web site, so you can file a claim online.
Every state has one. Type in your name, and find out immediately if there's money or other property waiting for you.
Judy checked and got a surprise. She's had money sitting in a state account for some time for more than $700.
"I don't know how it came about, from paying off my mortgage I suppose," she exclaimed.
Judy submitted an online claim and got her check in less than two weeks. All it cost her was the time it took to file the claim online.
Beware of companies that charge you
There are lot of companies out there who get this information off state websites and then try to charge you for the information. Stay away from them. Only go through the official Web site for the State Department of Revenue.
Right now, our state is holding more than $500 million worth of unclaimed property. We're talking cash, jewelry, collectibles, contents of safe deposit boxes -- it's a lot of money.
The state is launching a big campaign next week, so look for bus ads, radio announcements and even special ads during movie previews at some theaters.
For More Information:
ucp.dor.wa.gov
www.unclaimed.org
It's from the State Department of Revenue and says you have unclaimed money coming. It asks for a lot of personal information and that's what triggers the red flags for some consumers.
But it turns out, this one is on the up and up.
Suspicious at first
As soon as Judy Bloom opened the letter, she smelled a rat.
"It says I'm to get $712.37," Judy said from her home office in Kirkland.
The letter has state logo and looks official, but Judy wondered, why would the state government ask for her Social Security number on a mail-in form?
"You know, the red flag went up," she said.
Concerned about all the "look-alike" mail, e-mail and phone calls that turn out to be true scams, I checked with the state -- and it turns out this is the real deal.
The Department of Revenue mails between 50,000 and 100,000 claim forms a year to get people to claim money and property they've forgotten about.
This year, for the first time, the notices direct you to the state's unclaimed property Web site, so you can file a claim online.
Every state has one. Type in your name, and find out immediately if there's money or other property waiting for you.
Judy checked and got a surprise. She's had money sitting in a state account for some time for more than $700.
"I don't know how it came about, from paying off my mortgage I suppose," she exclaimed.
Judy submitted an online claim and got her check in less than two weeks. All it cost her was the time it took to file the claim online.
Beware of companies that charge you
There are lot of companies out there who get this information off state websites and then try to charge you for the information. Stay away from them. Only go through the official Web site for the State Department of Revenue.
Right now, our state is holding more than $500 million worth of unclaimed property. We're talking cash, jewelry, collectibles, contents of safe deposit boxes -- it's a lot of money.
The state is launching a big campaign next week, so look for bus ads, radio announcements and even special ads during movie previews at some theaters.
For More Information:
ucp.dor.wa.gov
www.unclaimed.org