I used to work for a company that actually work directly with that company, which works directly with the state Treasury department.

They're what we called unclaimed property and they're are millions of money out there that are owed to people. It could be from old bank accounts, uncashed rebate checks, insurance overpayment, old stocks, etc.....

Each state have what's called an abandonment period and it varies state to state and depending on the type of properties. For the state of MA, most things are 3 years meaning if there are no activities on that account for over three years, the state can actually claim it. Of course the companies and state will try to contact the owners before taking it. In my 10 years of working for the company, most "lost" property were due to moving and not updating their address (we'll use a few methods to try and locate an up-to-date address) or due to death where there's no next-of-kin.

I actually found my own name in the database. It was a program run by Mobil Gas where for every gallon of gas you purchased, a small percentage goes to a UFund for college (i was 19ish at the time when I signed up) After a few years, i totally forgot about it but it was still earning some money. Little did i know I had earned about $20.

Another example is i found my sister's name. It was an overpayment to her car insurance company about 15 years ago.... about $125. I found numerous friends and family names on there, ranging from $20(mine) to $500(a friend's uncashed insurance claim check).

Most people i tell about it, they think it's a scam but i tell them that's the company I work for and then they'll believe me. You do have to verify your identity and proof of ownership. If it's a deceased relative, a death certificate is needed and anything else they ask for.

I hope this helps and put you at ease that it's not a scam.