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VERIFY: Is the letter from the Department of State Lands a scam?

A warning letter was only sent to those people who entered their social security number while creating an account on the state's unclaimed property website.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Several KGW viewers asked if an email and letter they received from someone purporting to be the Oregon Department of State Lands about cybersecurity risk was really from the state.

KGW set out to Verify if the letter was legitimate.

We spoke with Ali Ryan Hansen, spokesperson for the Department of State Lands, who said the letter was sent by the state. It went out to 166,000 people who created an account on the state’s unclaimed property website, and entered their social security numbers.

Users are not required to submit their social security number. It is an optional feature.

The vulnerability was uncovered during a routine cybersecurity scan in October. There’s nothing to suggest any personal information was actually taken. As a precaution, the department is offering free identity theft protection services.

The state’s unclaimed money website allows people to search for money or assets that have not been claimed. The state Department of Lands is holding more than a half a billion dollars in unclaimed funds. It is free to search for your name and file a claim online. Here’s a link

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