A scam letter is circulating that falsely claims to be from the U.S. Treasury Department, telling recipients they have unclaimed property. This is especially concerning because the Pennsylvania Treasury Department recently announced its Money Match program, which automatically reunites residents with unclaimed property without requiring them to file a claim. Legitimate letters from the Treasury Department will never ask for payment or personal information to release funds.
Here are some red flags that indicate a scam:
• The letter claims funds will be released on a gift card.
• The response address is in South Dakota, but the letter was sent from Kansas.
• A search on the Pennsylvania Treasury Unclaimed Property website may not show any results for the recipient.
If you receive a letter and are unsure if it is legitimate, call my office to verify its validity before taking any action. Information about the PA Money Match program from my email update in January is below to help distinguish between this new scam and legitimate programs like Money Match.