Florida woman collects $108K after thinking she was getting scammed
Fox 13 Tampa Bay | Barbara did the right thing, she contacted law enforcement — and it paid off.
She’d been receiving frequent email messages from law firms, private investigators, and others offering to help her claim money. The senders told her that she just needed to reply, and they’d get her money for her in exchange for part of the proceeds.
She was wary. It sounded too easy and too good to be true. So, she went to the police.
"What Barbara did was brilliant," Detective Jim Curulla of BPD's elder fraud division, said. "Before she acted, she called a trusted source."
With help from the police, she learned the good news: The money was real. She had $108,000 coming to her from stock options she’d never claimed. Even better: She didn’t need anyone’s help to get it, nor share the proceeds. All she had to do was fill out forms from the Florida Division of Unclaimed Property.
Were the attorneys and private investigators breaking the law? No. They use public records to get the information and are allowed to reach out to people with unclaimed property to help them get that money for a fee.
Video and full article: Elderly Florida woman collects $108K in unclaimed funds after thinking she was getting scammed