COLUMBUS \u2013 David Goodman, director of the Ohio Department of Commerce, is warning Ohioans to be alert for an email scam telling people they have unclaimed international funds worth millions in cash.<\/p>\n
The email fraudulently says it is from an unclaimed funds official and implies that an FBI agent vetted the matter. It tries to sound official and that the recipient doesn\u2019t have to pay to obtain the funds. Those who respond to the email are directed to contact an overseas attorney.<\/p>\n
\u201cPure and simple, this is a scam,\u201d Goodman said. \u201cWe will not have Ohioans ripped off by taking advantage of our unclaimed funds program that returns Ohioans\u2019 hard-earned money to the rightful owners.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sender of the email is not looking to return money — they want to trick the recipient to obtain their personal financial information,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Goodman said he is concerned that the fraudulent emails are attributed to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. The department\u2019s Division of Unclaimed Funds is a member of the organization. \u201cThis fraudulent email simply has nothing to do with unclaimed funds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Division of Unclaimed Funds does not direct claims recipients to private third parties, charge fees to claim funds or request bank fund information. The division would be able to provide information on who reported the funds and be able to assist in the claims process.<\/p>\n
The Ohio Division of Unclaimed Funds works aggressively to reunite Ohioans with their hard-earned money. In Fiscal Year 2011, the division returned more than $60.9 million to current or former Ohioans. The average paid claim was for $1,138.<\/p>\n
Goodman urges Ohioans who receive such emails to delete them or report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n