Have you ever been contacted by a company or individual that claims you may have some missing or unclaimed property that you may not even know about? Did this company or person than offer to locate those missing assets for a fee?

If this situation sounds familiar to you, don't worry. While this service is not illegal, it certainly is not necessary, either. Consumers can search for missing or unclaimed property themselves for free!

The Missouri Treasurer's office maintains an online database as a "lost-and-found" directory where consumers can search for any property that may have been left from some long-lost relative. The Treasurer's staff keeps these assets until the rightful owner or heir is identified.

Chances are, companies are offering to locate your missing property because they found your name on the Treasurer's website and saw that you have unclaimed assets. So don't pay someone to find your property when you can do it yourself for free.