Last updated:
Quick answer
Here's how I'd set this up in ChatGPT or Claude (not run by us yet). I'd list every state I've lived or worked in and every name I've used, have the chat turn that into a search plan for the official state sites and MissingMoney.com, then run the searches myself and paste back what I find.
At a glance
All outcome figures are estimates from cited sources, not independent verification by us.
- What it is allowed to do
- Drafts for you
Writes drafts (emails, posts, plans, replies). You review and send. Nothing goes out without you.
- Time saved (estimate)
- Not measured yet
- Money saved (estimate)
- Not measured yet.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Tools needed
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Typical cost
- Free. ChatGPT Free and Claude Free both include web search. Searching and claiming through official state programs and MissingMoney.com costs nothing.
Reviewed Oct 21, 2026
Basis (estimate): Not measured yet. We haven't timed this.
What does this setup do?
You list your old addresses and name variants, ChatGPT or Claude turns them into a search plan for official unclaimed property sites, and you run each search yourself and file any claim on the state site for free.
Who is it for?
For anyone who has moved, changed names, closed old bank accounts, or handled a relative's estate and wonders whether a state is holding money for them.
How do you set it up?
Tools
- ChatGPT Free or Claude Free. Both free plans include web search.
- A list of every address you've had and every name you've used, including maiden names and common misspellings
- The official search sites: each state's unclaimed property program (linked from unclaimed.org) and MissingMoney.com
Steps
- Write down each state you've lived, worked, or banked in, plus every version of your name. Add any business names you've owned.
- Paste that list into ChatGPT or Claude with the prompt below. It uses web search to find each state's official unclaimed property site and flags any state it can't confirm on MissingMoney.com.
- Run the MissingMoney.com search yourself for each name variant. Then search each flagged state on its own site.
- Check the federal lists USA.gov points to if they fit you: unpaid wages, old pensions, matured savings bonds, and deposits from failed banks.
- Paste the matches you find (holder, amount shown, state) back into the chat. Leave out your Social Security number. Ask for a claim checklist for each state.
- File each claim yourself on the official state site. Searching and claiming there is free.
- If a finder company offers to recover the money for a percentage, remember the same claim is free on the state site. Check with your state's office before you sign anything.
Example output
Illustrative. Your results will differ.
- 9 states and 3 name variants on the search list
- 2 states flagged to search on their own site
- Claim checklist ready for 1 match. Nothing filed.
Where to paste this prompt
ChatGPT: ChatGPT → Project instructions, or ChatGPT Tasks for scheduled reminders (once a day on Free)
Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
Help me search for unclaimed money in my name. Don't file anything or contact anyone for me.
My names (include maiden names, nicknames, misspellings): [names]
States I've lived, worked, or banked in, with rough years: [states and years]
Businesses I've owned, if any: [business names]
1. Use web search to find the official government unclaimed property website for each state on my list. Only list official state sites and MissingMoney.com.
2. Tell me which of my states you can't confirm are searchable on MissingMoney.com, so I search those directly.
3. Give me a short search checklist: each name variant to try, and on which site.
4. When I paste matches back, make a table: state, holder, amount shown, what proof that state's claim page asks for, and the official link to file.
Rules: If you can't confirm a site is official, say so. Don't guess amounts or invent matches. Never ask for my Social Security number.Free starter pack
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What usually goes wrong?
Where agents tend to stall on this job. More patterns in Where AI gets stuck.
- ChatGPT or Claude may not be able to open or search the state databases, so plan to run each search yourself and paste the results back.
- MissingMoney.com covers most states, not all. Search any state the plan can't confirm on that state's own site.
- Each state sets its own proof of identity and ownership, so a claim can stall until you send the right document.
Which chat tools work with this prompt?
Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).
- ChatGPT
- Claude
Common questions
- How do I find unclaimed money in my name for free?
- Search MissingMoney.com and the official unclaimed property site of every state you've lived or worked in. NAUPA, the state administrators' association, says searching and claiming through official state programs is free.
- Is MissingMoney.com legit?
- Yes. NAUPA, the association of state unclaimed property administrators, sponsors it. Most states take part, not all, and each match links to that state's official claim site.
- Can ChatGPT find unclaimed money for me?
- It can build your search plan, find each state's official site with web search, and turn your matches into a claim checklist. You still run the searches and file the claims yourself.
- Why is a company offering to get my unclaimed money for a fee?
- Those are finder or locator firms. NAUPA says most are legal and usually charge a percentage of what they recover. The same claim is free on the state's own site, so check with your state's office before you sign.
Where should you go next on this site?
What tips make it smoother?
- Search every name variant. Records can carry a typo or an old last name.
- If you're the legal heir of a relative who died, you can search and file for them too, per USA.gov.
- Keep the claim table in one chat and tick off each state as its payment arrives.
Where do the claims come from?
Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.
- Read NAUPA’s write-up (unclaimed.org)
NAUPA: The state administrators' association says searching and claiming through official state programs is free, and explains paid finder firms.
- Read NAUPA’s write-up (unclaimed.org)
NAUPA: Links to every state's official program and describes MissingMoney.com as a free multi-state search that most states take part in.
- Read NAUPA’s write-up (unclaimed.org)
NAUPA: Claim steps and the kinds of identity and ownership proof states ask for.
- Read USAGov’s write-up (www.usa.gov)
USAGov: No single place lists all unclaimed money. Lists the federal databases for wages, pensions, savings bonds, and failed banks.
- Read OpenAI Help Center’s write-up (help.openai.com)
OpenAI Help Center: Web search is available on every ChatGPT plan, Free included, within plan usage limits.
- Read Anthropic’s write-up (www.anthropic.com)
Anthropic: Claude Free is $0 and includes web search, file creation, memory, and connectors.
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