Web Site Claims To Find Unclaimed Money
NBC Logo Used On Site Apparently Not Authorized
POSTED: Wednesday, March 31,
UPDATED: 5:45 pm EST March 31,2004
A Web site promises $300 billion in unclaimed money, but there's a cost that comes with it, Local 4's Consumer Investigator Ruth Spencer reported.
Carolann Morykwas visited
YourLostMoney.com to find her unclaimed money, but said she had some doubts when the site prompted her to input her credit card number.
Morykwas said the site caught her eye because it has the NBC logo at the top.
YourLostMoney found that Morykwas' mother had more than $4,000 in unclaimed money from places such as a forgotten savings accounts or the Internal Revenue Service, Local 4 reported.
"I think it's possible knowing her that she could've left some money somewhere in an account, or maybe not had a tax refund," said Morykwas.
Morykwas was tempted to put in her credit card number and pay $14.95 for more information.
"I did think about that, to be honest with you, because it isn't much. But I've heard of stories where once they get your credit card, they can do anything with it," she said.
Spencer used the site and found that more than $12,000 in unclaimed money may be available to her.
But Local 4 learned that consumers do not have to pay to find out whether agencies like the IRS owe you money.
The information is free on the IRS Web site.
"You can click on the hotlink to 'Where's My Refund' to find out if there's a refund sitting out there that you're entitled to. That's the easiest and quickest way to do it. You just don't have to pay for it," said Wreford.
Local 4 notified NBC about the logo appearing on YourLostMoney after finding that the network does not endorse the Web site.
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