Is Lostandfound.dol.gov legit? Yes. lostandfound.dol.gov is an official U.S. Department of Labor website for the Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database.
Quick verdict: Lostandfound.dol.gov is legitimate. It is operated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration and helps people search for private-sector retirement plans that may still owe them benefits.
Important: The site uses Login.gov identity verification and asks for sensitive information such as your Social Security number because it is matching retirement-plan records to you. DOL says it will never call, text, or email you asking for your password, one-time passcode, authentication code, or remote access.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026.
Why this page was published: U.S. Google Trends showed lostandfound.dol.gov legit rising 1,400% over the past 24 hours and 400% over the past seven days.
What is Lostandfound.dol.gov?
Lostandfound.dol.gov is the Department of Labor’s Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database.
The database was created under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 to help workers and beneficiaries locate retirement plans that may still hold benefits for them.
The Department of Labor says the database is a centralized place to search for lost or forgotten retirement benefits and obtain contact information for the plan administrator responsible for those benefits.
Why does Lostandfound.dol.gov ask for my Social Security number?
The request can look alarming if you reached the site unexpectedly, but the official database matches retirement records to a verified individual. That requires identity proofing.
To search the database, DOL says you must sign in through Login.gov and verify your identity. The current process can require:
- Your legal first and last name.
- Date of birth.
- Social Security number.
- A phone number or mobile device.
- Images of the front and back of a valid state-issued driver’s license or ID.
After Login.gov verifies your identity, you are returned to the Department of Labor site and can search for retirement plans associated with your Social Security number.
Check the domain before entering sensitive information. The legitimate public database is on dol.gov and the identity-verification step is handled through Login.gov. Do not enter your Social Security number or ID into a lookalike domain reached through an unsolicited email, text, ad, or phone call.
Is the Login.gov redirect legitimate?
Yes. The official DOL page says users must verify their identity through Login.gov before accessing the Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database.
That means seeing a Login.gov sign-in or identity-verification step after starting from lostandfound.dol.gov is expected.
However, do not assume that any page displaying a Login.gov logo is genuine. Check the complete browser address before entering credentials.
What retirement plans can the database find?
DOL says the database can help identify retirement plans connected with your Social Security number from private-sector employers and unions, including:
- Defined-benefit pension plans, which may provide a monthly pension or lump-sum benefit.
- Defined-contribution plans, including many 401(k) plans.
The search results can provide the name of a retirement plan and contact information for the plan administrator.
You then contact the plan administrator to determine whether you are still entitled to a benefit.
What Lostandfound.dol.gov does not do
The Department of Labor emphasizes that the database is an information service only.
It does not:
- Decide whether you are eligible for a retirement benefit.
- Process a benefit application.
- Pay retirement benefits directly.
- Guarantee that money is still owed simply because a plan appears in search results.
- Search for Individual Retirement Accounts, or IRAs.
- Search most government retirement plans.
- Search certain religious-organization plans.
- Search Social Security benefits.
A listed plan may have already paid your benefit, rolled it into another retirement account, or converted it into an annuity. Only the plan administrator can determine the current status.
Why might old or incorrect contact information appear?
DOL says some records come from historical Social Security Administration filings and may contain outdated administrator addresses or phone numbers.
For example, a retirement plan may have changed administrators, merged, or updated its address after the record was filed.
An outdated result does not mean the DOL website itself is fraudulent. It means you may need to research the current plan administrator or ask an Employee Benefits Security Administration Benefits Advisor for assistance.
Lostandfound.dol.gov scam and impersonation warnings
The Department of Labor places unusually prominent fraud warnings on the Lost and Found site because users are handling sensitive identity information.
DOL says it will never:
- Call, text, or email you asking for your password.
- Ask you to read a one-time passcode aloud.
- Ask for an authentication-app code or security token.
- Contact you to walk you through identity proofing or account verification.
- Ask you to share your screen.
- Ask you to let someone remotely control your device.
- Charge a fee to recover retirement funds on DOL’s behalf.
If someone contacts you claiming they can retrieve money from the Department of Labor database for an upfront fee, stop. The official service itself does not charge a recovery fee.
Major warning sign: A caller who says they found your retirement money and then asks for a passcode, payment, remote access, gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or banking login is not following the Department of Labor’s published process.
How to verify you are on the real site
- Look at the full browser address.
- Confirm it begins with https://lostandfound.dol.gov/.
- If you need to sign in, confirm the identity-verification site is login.gov.
- Do not use a link sent by an unsolicited caller or text message.
- If you are uncertain, type dol.gov yourself and search the Department of Labor site for “Retirement Savings Lost and Found.”
Who can help if the database does not work?
DOL lists RSLFSupport@dol.gov for technical assistance with the Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database.
For Login.gov account or identity-verification problems, use the official help center at Login.gov/help.
If you need help locating a former employer or retirement plan, the Employee Benefits Security Administration says you can contact an EBSA Benefits Advisor through AskEBSA.dol.gov or call 1-866-444-3272.
Related TIAS warning
Government impersonators frequently use official-sounding programs to make requests for money or personal information seem credible. For another current federal-program verification example, see our Trump Accounts app legitimacy guide. You can also review our Government Grant Scam guide.
Lostandfound.dol.gov FAQs
Is Lostandfound.dol.gov legit?
Yes. It is an official U.S. Department of Labor website operated by the Employee Benefits Security Administration for the Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database.
Why does the DOL Lost and Found site need my Social Security number?
The database searches retirement-plan records linked to your identity. DOL requires identity verification through Login.gov before allowing a search tied to your Social Security number.
Is Login.gov part of the legitimate process?
Yes. The official DOL website requires an ID-proofed Login.gov account to search the database.
Does the Department of Labor charge a fee to recover my money?
No. DOL says it does not charge a fee to recover funds and warns users not to pay someone claiming they can recover retirement benefits on DOL’s behalf.
Does a search result mean I definitely have money waiting?
No. A result means the database found a retirement plan associated with you. The benefit may already have been paid, transferred, rolled over, or converted to an annuity. The plan administrator determines whether a benefit remains due.
Can the site find an old IRA?
No. DOL says the Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database does not search for Individual Retirement Accounts.
Bottom line
Lostandfound.dol.gov is legitimate. It is an official Department of Labor service designed to help workers find private-sector retirement plans associated with their identity.
The sensitive information requested during Login.gov identity verification is part of the official access process, but that makes domain verification especially important. Start at lostandfound.dol.gov, use the official Login.gov flow, and ignore anyone who contacts you asking for passcodes, remote access, or payment to recover funds.
ThinkItsAScam.com is independent and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Login.gov, or any retirement-plan administrator.
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