It had been a rough year for Chalene Nevins out of Clairemont.
“I was burglarized. Had all of my electronics and all of my jewelry stolen except for what I’m wearing right now,” Charlene said.
So, when Charlene received an unsolicited letter in the mail claiming she was owed money, she was skeptical. The company that sent the letter asked for Chalene’s personal details like her social security and driver’s license numbers.
What made things even odder was that the company told Charlene that she would receive a check and then would be required to send a portion of that check to the company for their efforts.
Charlene called NBC 7 Responds, asking us to figure out whether or not this was a scam and what we found out was a big surprise for Charlene.
As it turns out, the company that contacted Charlene was legitimate. These companies go through public records for unclaimed properties or funds that a state may owe an individual. The companies will then look up the individual’s contact information, notify them of the unclaimed funds, and say they will send the person a check if they give the company a percentage.
But there’s a way that Charlene and anyone in this situation can receive those unclaimed funds without having to share a penny with a third party company.
Local
For California residents, it’s as simple as going to the State Controller’s website and searching your name.
To find out if you have any unclaimed funds or properties, click here.
The State Controller’s website has a list of money or properties from closed or dormant accounts that have been turned over to the state.
There are millions of dollars waiting to be claimed there and for Charlene, $1816 was waiting for her.
