DENVER -- It sounds like a scam, but it's true. Do you have money waiting to be claimed?

The State of Colorado is holding money and valuables for 500,000 people. Why? If you forget about a utility deposit, lose track of a bank account, a stock certificate, or a retirement account; misplaced a rebate check, reimbursement or paycheck from a business; or moved prior to receiving your Colorado state tax rebate, the bank, business or state agency is required by law to file a report and forward those assets to the Unclaimed Property office of the Colorado State Treasurer.

The state also gets the items from safe deposit boxes that are unused for a certain amount of time. So the state is holding antique guns, jewelry, coins, money and other items.

To see if Colorado has money or property for you, just visit the Great Colorado Payback Web site. Click on the button that says "search property and claim status" at the top of the page.

I searched several names. It turns out my boyfriend is listed. The Web site says the amount is "under $50." One of our reporters had family members listed with both "under $50" and "over $50."

I found my name in the Texas database last year and got $36. If you see a parent or a family member on the list who has died, the heir to that person can claim the property. I'm in the process of sending paperwork to California to get some money that may have belonged to my grandfather.

Don't pay anyone to do the search for you; it's free to do it yourself. Just go to Google and type in "unclaimed property" and the state where you have lived before. Check the Web site carefully to make sure it's from the state and not some company trying to steal your identity.

Here are a few states Web sites to get you started:

Texas

Kansas

Utah

Wyoming

If you see a deal, e-mail me Debbie (Debbie@thedenverchannel.com).

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