Fake state unclaimed property / treasury fund phishing — claims recipient has unclaimed funds held by the state treasury or a dormant bank account, demands a fee to "release" or "claim" the money; NAUPA: 10M+ fraudulent unclaimed-property claims annually; FTC top consumer scam warning; the genuine search (MissingMoney.com, state treasurer sites) is always free

Phishing emails claiming the recipient has unclaimed funds held by a state treasury, dormant bank account, or lapsed insurance policy — then charging a "processing fee," "release fee," or "recovery service" charge to access the money, or harvesting SSN and personal details to "verify identity." Key facts: (1) NAUPA (National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators) estimates 10M+ fraudulent unclaimed-property contacts annually — the genuine unclaimed property search through MissingMoney.com or any state treasurer website is completely free; searching and claiming your real unclaimed property never requires payment; (2) FTC top consumer scam warning 2022–2024: "unclaimed funds" and "government money you're owed" scams consistently appear in the top-20 fraud categories reported to the FTC, with losses concentrated among recipients aged 55+; (3) Real unclaimed property holds a genuine asset: the state holds the actual funds and sends them by check upon a verified claim — no fee, no service needed. The fraud exploits the fact that unclaimed property is real (most Americans have some): the legitimacy of the underlying concept makes the scam email feel more plausible; (4) Any email demanding payment to "release" or "claim" unclaimed property is fraudulent by definition — no state treasury, county, or legitimate recovery service charges an upfront fee; licensed heir-search firms may charge a percentage after recovery, and only after a written agreement. Warning signs: fee required to claim funds, SSN request in an unsolicited email, sender domain not a .gov address, urgency about a deadline to claim, amount phrased as a specific dollar figure ($847 rather than "approximately $800"), link to a non-governmental domain.