Aussies could be owed a share of $1.5 billion in 'lost' money – here's how to claim it!
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When you receive unexpected emails, calls, or comments that seem too good to be true, it's important to be cautious because they can often turn out to be scams.
However, being overly cautious may also cause you to overlook unclaimed money that actually belongs to you.
Did you know that there is a significant amount of unclaimed funds, totalling $1.5 billion, currently being held by the Australian government? These funds are patiently waiting for their rightful owners to claim them.
These lost funds often originate from dormant bank accounts, shares, investments, life insurance policies, and other forgotten assets. Money can become 'lost' when you move house, accidentally leave an account dormant for too long, or forget to update your details with a financial institution or company.
So, what's the process of retrieving your potentially lost fortune? Thankfully, it's free and straightforward.
To start, head over to the official MoneySmart website and navigate to the 'Find unclaimed money' page. Simply enter your name or Original Transaction Number (OTN) if you still have it into the search box and click 'Search'. Any unclaimed money under your name or OTN should pop up.
If nothing comes up, don't lose hope just yet—there are other ways to find potentially lost money.
For example, you can search for lost superannuation through the ATO or use state government services to find unclaimed money from deceased estates, share dividends, salaries and wages, cheques, trust money, over-payments, proceeds of the sale, and more.
Social media personality Canna Campbell has urged her followers to search for and claim their lost money via the MoneySmart website. She even shared a video explaining how to do it, but some viewers admitted that they were sceptical about the legitimacy of the email notifications they received.
'I deleted the email [because I] thought it sounded like a scam,' one user shared.
'Genuinely thought it was a scam [so I didn't] click links. Why'd the email look so scammy? That didn't calm my scam senses,' another said.
While it's natural to have reservations, it's essential to verify which messages are indeed legitimate and which ones should be disregarded. In this case, it turns out the notification was legit, and many Australians have successfully reclaimed their lost funds—one user even recovered a shocking $634!
As always, stay vigilant in protecting yourself from scams. To ensure the authenticity of text messages and emails you receive, it's crucial to conduct thorough research and perform checks on the senders.
If you encounter any suspicious activity or emails, make sure to report them to the authorities. Additionally, you can stay updated on the latest scams targeting Australians by visiting the Scam Watch forum on the SDC website.
What are your thoughts on this news, everyone? Will you be checking for any unclaimed money? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
However, being overly cautious may also cause you to overlook unclaimed money that actually belongs to you.
Did you know that there is a significant amount of unclaimed funds, totalling $1.5 billion, currently being held by the Australian government? These funds are patiently waiting for their rightful owners to claim them.
These lost funds often originate from dormant bank accounts, shares, investments, life insurance policies, and other forgotten assets. Money can become 'lost' when you move house, accidentally leave an account dormant for too long, or forget to update your details with a financial institution or company.
There is $1.5 billion in unclaimed money being held by the government, and it is free and simple to get back. Credit: Unsplash/Melissa Walker Horn.
So, what's the process of retrieving your potentially lost fortune? Thankfully, it's free and straightforward.
To start, head over to the official MoneySmart website and navigate to the 'Find unclaimed money' page. Simply enter your name or Original Transaction Number (OTN) if you still have it into the search box and click 'Search'. Any unclaimed money under your name or OTN should pop up.
If nothing comes up, don't lose hope just yet—there are other ways to find potentially lost money.
For example, you can search for lost superannuation through the ATO or use state government services to find unclaimed money from deceased estates, share dividends, salaries and wages, cheques, trust money, over-payments, proceeds of the sale, and more.
Social media personality Canna Campbell has urged her followers to search for and claim their lost money via the MoneySmart website. She even shared a video explaining how to do it, but some viewers admitted that they were sceptical about the legitimacy of the email notifications they received.
'I deleted the email [because I] thought it sounded like a scam,' one user shared.
'Genuinely thought it was a scam [so I didn't] click links. Why'd the email look so scammy? That didn't calm my scam senses,' another said.
While it's natural to have reservations, it's essential to verify which messages are indeed legitimate and which ones should be disregarded. In this case, it turns out the notification was legit, and many Australians have successfully reclaimed their lost funds—one user even recovered a shocking $634!
As always, stay vigilant in protecting yourself from scams. To ensure the authenticity of text messages and emails you receive, it's crucial to conduct thorough research and perform checks on the senders.
If you encounter any suspicious activity or emails, make sure to report them to the authorities. Additionally, you can stay updated on the latest scams targeting Australians by visiting the Scam Watch forum on the SDC website.
What are your thoughts on this news, everyone? Will you be checking for any unclaimed money? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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