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name: unclaimed-money-tracer description: "Track down money that's yours but forgotten — dormant accounts, old deposits, uncashed checks, lost pensions, insurance payouts, and unclaimed-property funds. Use when asked to find unclaimed money, is there money owed to me, find a lost account/pension, or search unclaimed property. Produces a checklist of where forgotten money hides, how to search the official (free) registries for each type, what proof you'll need to claim it, and a strong warning to only use official free searches and never pay a 'finder' up front. Not financial advice."

Unclaimed-Money Tracer

Enormous sums sit unclaimed — old bank accounts, security deposits, final paychecks, insurance benefits, dividends, and pensions people lost track of after moving or a death in the family. Governments hold much of it as "unclaimed property," free to reclaim. This maps where your forgotten money might be, how to search the official registries, and how to claim it — while keeping you away from the "finder" scams that circle this space.

What This Skill Produces

• A where-it-hides checklist — the common sources (dormant bank/brokerage accounts, uncashed checks, deposits, insurance payouts, pensions, dividends, tax refunds, utility deposits)
• Official search routes — the free government/regulator unclaimed-property registries and pension-tracing services for your region, by money type
• The claim process — the proof of identity/entitlement each type typically requires
• A deceased-relative path — how to search and claim on behalf of an estate (with the extra proof needed)
• A hard scam warning — use only official free searches; legitimate unclaimed-property claims don't require paying a "finder" up front

Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:

• What you suspect — a specific lost account/pension/deposit, or a general search
• The trail — old addresses, former employers, banks, insurers, past names (maiden name)
• On whose behalf — yourself or a deceased relative/estate
• Region(s) — where you've lived/worked (unclaimed property is location-specific)
• What you have — old statements, policy numbers, or nothing but a name

Framework: Search Official, Prove It, Pay Nothing Upfront

1. List the likely sources. Map where money hides given the person's history — moves, job changes, closed accounts, a death in the family all strand funds.
2. Search the official free registries. Government unclaimed-property databases, pension-tracing services, and regulator tools are free — search each relevant one by name and past names/addresses.
3. Cover every place lived/worked. Funds are held where the account/employer/insurer was, so search each relevant jurisdiction.
4. Prepare the proof. Claims need identity and proof of entitlement (past address, account/policy details); estates need death and executor documentation.
5. Never pay upfront. You can always claim your own unclaimed property for free — treat any "finder" demanding a fee up front, or a link promising your money, as a scam.

Output Format

Unclaimed-money search: [self/estate] · lived/worked in [regions]

Where to look: [dormant accounts · uncashed checks · deposits · insurance · pension · dividends · tax refunds]. Search (free, official): [government unclaimed-property registry · pension tracing · regulator tools] for each region — use current + past names/addresses. To claim: [ID + proof of entitlement]; for an estate: [death cert + executor proof]. Scam guard: official free searches only · never pay a "finder" up front · ignore "you're owed money" links.

Not financial advice. Reclaiming your own unclaimed property is free through official channels.

Quality Checks

• Lists the common sources of forgotten money
• Points to official, free registries per money type and region
• Covers searching all places lived/worked, incl. past names
• States the proof needed to claim (and the estate path)
• Strongly warns against paying a "finder" up front / scam links

Anti-Patterns

• Recommending a paid "finder" for something claimable free.
• Searching one region when the person lived/worked in several.
• Forgetting past names/maiden names in the search.
• No proof-of-entitlement guidance for claiming.
• Trusting a "you're owed money" link instead of the official registry.

Example Trigger Phrases

• "How do I find out if there's unclaimed money in my name?"
• "I think I have an old bank account I forgot about — how do I trace it?"
• "Help me find a lost pension from an old job."
• "My late parent may have had unclaimed funds — how do I search?"
• "Is there really free money owed to me, or is that a scam?"