Quote:
I've thought about putting together some official looking letter head and mailing people with large sums to let them know they have unclaimed property and I will access it for them for 25%
Before they put all the info on line, there were people who made a pretty good living doing just that. They'd go to Austin and dig out the records, then go after the biggest amounts. They'd tell you how much you were owed, but give out no other info.
If you agreed, you would sign an agreement giving them 10% (or whatever) and they'd work the claim for you.
Imagine how hard it would have been to claim a refund from Amarillo, pre-Internet, when all the records were in Austin.