Searching for and claiming unclaimed property through an official state program is free, so any upfront fee is a scam. NAUPA, the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, never contacts individuals about property, so verify any message by starting at the state's official .gov site or NAUPA's directory.
Unclaimed property means money and accounts turned over to the state after dormancy. Examples include forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, and utility deposits. Only the state holding the property can approve its release.
Table of Contents
- Do you have to pay to search or claim?
- Which messages should you treat as fraud?
- How do impostors misuse NAUPA's name?
- How do you verify safely?
Do you have to pay to search or claim?
The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators states in its free-search guide that searching and claiming through an official state program carries no search or claim fee. You can search state records and file the state claim yourself. No payment unlocks the funds faster.
The Federal Trade Commission warns in its March 2026 consumer alert that a caller or texter demanding personal data or an upfront processing fee is a scammer. Government programs do not charge to search for funds. Treat these demands as stop signs:.
- upfront processing, release, or verification fee
- demand for bank logins, passwords, or copies of ID by text or phone
- pressure to pay immediately to keep the funds from expiring
Which messages should you treat as fraud?
NAUPA and the National Association of State Treasurers state in their July 2023 fraud advisory that they never directly contact individuals about property. Any phone call, email, or message claiming to be from NAUPA or NAST should be treated as fraudulent. Do not reply, call back, or click links.
New Jersey's Department of the Treasury warned residents to immediately delete texts claiming to be from its Unclaimed Property Administration with a clickable claim link. The office said it contacts people by email or letter, never by text. A text with a claim link is therefore not a shortcut. It is the attack.
How do impostors misuse NAUPA's name?
New Mexico taxation and aging officials reported that an older resident was approached by someone falsely claiming NAUPA affiliation as a bonded trustee. The impostor demanded a substantial recovery sum. NAUPA confirmed the person had no affiliation.
That pattern matters because the title sounds official and the fee sounds routine. A real state program does not send a trustee to collect a recovery charge. Check claimed affiliation through unclaimed.org or the state, not through contact details the messenger provides.
How do you verify safely?
NAUPA explains in its multi-state search guide that its sponsored MissingMoney.com search checks participating states, shows matching states, and links users to official state claim pages. MissingMoney.com covers most but not all states.
Check every state where you lived or worked. Use this sequence instead of clicking a message link:.
- type the state's official .gov unclaimed-property address yourself
- or start at NAUPA's directory at unclaimed.org/search
- search your name in each relevant state and follow only the official state claim page
- delete unexpected texts, emails, and links about unclaimed funds