Unclaimed money in Washington state. Is this real or a scam?

Has this ever happened to you? You're sitting at home; you're minding your own business. Maybe you're going through your e-mail and “Ding”, an e-mail comes in and tells you that you may have unclaimed property in the form of cash. Do you investigate it? Or do you treat it like spam? 

I have had a few of those emails and even a couple of texts on the phone like that in the past and I've always assumed it was a scam. The best way to know is to take a very close look at where the e-mail or text came from. The only legitimate source would be from a government agency. Like, for instance, the Washington State Department of Revenue. 

If the e-mail address looks flaky. If there are misspelled words or poor grammar being used, it's probably a scam. 

But there is always the possibility that this notice might be legit. 

According to kimatv.com,
‘Central Washington — As of January 2025, Washington State is holding nearly $2.5 billion in unclaimed property, up from $2.2 billion in October.’ 

Yes, there is cash out there. It's found in forgotten bank accounts and uncashed checks. Here in the state of Washington, there's something called the Money Match program and in 2024 it paid out approximately $189.9 million to people who had no clue that that money was out there Waiting for them. 

So how do you find out if you've got money out there that's unclaimed cash waiting for you? Well, the first thing you must do is you have to go to the website. (The legitimate website.) WA Unclaimed Property and follow the directions. 

By the way, using that link I filed a claim. It wasn't a huge amount of money but now I guess I just wait and see if I get a check in the mail. 

Good luck in your search. 

Washington State Sees Increase in Unclaimed Property Funds
WA Unclaimed Property
Do you have cash waiting for you to claim? | Washington Department of Revenue