E-mail scammers pose as assistant to Missouri treasurer Zweifel
Fraudsters trying to steal Missourians’ personal information are posing in e-mails as a state official, according to the office of Treasurer Clint Zweifel, which warned of the phishing scam Wednesday.
The phony e-mails promise to help Missourians obtain unclaimed property held by the state. Unlike most e-mail scams, this one claiming to be from an assistant to the treasurer has a ring of credibility. Part of Zweifel’s job is to manage about $550 million in unclaimed property and try to find rightful owners for the money.
The con’s giveaway, however, is that the e-mails claim that the state charges a finder’s fee for this service.
“Missourians should know that no unsolicited e-mails from my office regarding unclaimed property are ever sent out, and that my office never charges to return unclaimed property,” Zweifel said in a prepared statement.
Zweifel said his office is cooperating with law-enforcement authorities and has notified the Federal Trade Commission so the e-mails will be rejected automatically by e-mail providers.
Missourians who think the state might have be holding money owed to them should visit the treasurer’s web site.
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The reason the state DOES NOT notify people is that after a certain time elapses the state gets to keep the money and/or property. You know taxes don’t pay for the spoils…
one jim,
not true: http://www.treasurer.mo.gov/UCPFAQ.asp#faq5
“How long do I have to file a claim?
There is no time limit for filing claims. The State maintains unclaimed assets in trust for the rightful owners forever. If the property was reported to the State as an interest-bearing account, the state will even pay the owner up to seven years interest on the cash property.”
Also, don’t throw out unused gift cards. MO state law says these NEVER expire. Even if an expiration date is on the card/cert. If a company does business within the state of MO, the cards are good until used up.