Bradenton Detective Helps Elderly Woman Recover $108,000 in Unclaimed Funds
BRADENTON – What began as a routine call to the Bradenton Police Department’s Elder Fraud Unit turned into a life-changing discovery for one local resident.
An elderly woman, worried a scam was targeting her, reached out to Detective Jim Curulla after receiving repeated offers from law firms and investigators promising to help her collect money she believed did not exist.
Curulla reviewed the situation and quickly determined the woman was not the victim of a scam in the traditional sense. Instead, she was being contacted by companies that charge fees to assist individuals in recovering unclaimed property from the Florida Department of Financial Services.
A deeper look into the state’s Unclaimed Property database revealed a surprise: the woman had more than $100,000 in stock dividends waiting to be claimed from a company she had worked for more than three decades ago.
With Curulla’s guidance, she submitted the required paperwork and recently received a check for $108,000. Since she no longer drives, Curulla also ensured the funds were safely deposited by giving her a ride to the bank.
The Elder Fraud Unit frequently handles cases of scams and financial exploitation targeting older adults, but this case highlights a positive outcome. Officials encourage Florida residents and former residents to check the state’s unclaimed property database at www.fltreasurehunt.gov to see if they are owed money.
This successful recovery underscores the importance of vigilance, not only against fraud, but also in ensuring residents have access to resources that may hold long-forgotten financial assets.
