Is this life insurance payout legit?

[balloonshark]

My mother received a letter about a life insurance policy her mother paid into. They sent her a letter but she was skeptical. I looked up the company and it seemed legit so I told her to call but not to give out any personal information. They sent here a W-9 form to fill out which requires a social security number. I then decided to look up the address and the yellow pages say it's closed. https://www.yellowpages.com/greenville-sc/mip/protective-life-insurance-co-497874270?lid=497874270

The address and phone on the paperwork is:

Benefits dept.
201 West McBee Ave.
Suite 400
Greenville, SC 29601
Unreported Death-Client Research
1-864-478-1776

That address is listed on their main site except the zip code is different. http://www.protective.com/about-us/locations/ The letter also makes no mention of the web address. Just a Protective life insurance company name and their logo. It also mentions the insured first and last name and a policy number. It is "signed" Rebecca Smith Unreported Death-Client Research.

So is this letter legit or a possible scam? Can someone with better resources please help me dig a bit further?

Edit: Here is the letter.

 

[highland145]

Maybe.
http://treasurer.sc.gov/unclaimed-property/

Or call the SC DOI

 

[sactoking]

Could be legit, life insurers are usually legally required to search for beneficiaries before funds escheat to the state. If you suspect a scam get Protective's contact info yourself and initiate a conversion.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Looking up the contact info yourself is always a good idea.

You can also talk to the state insurance office for that state, to see whether or not the company is still in business. It might be phishers who have stolen the identity of a closed company.

 

[balloonshark]

Could be legit, life insurers are usually legally required to search for beneficiaries before funds escheat to the state. If you suspect a scam get Protective's contact info yourself and initiate a conversion.

Thanks. I've told her to call the main number from their website. She's having a hard time understanding why she shouldn't call the number in the letter she received.

Maybe.
http://treasurer.sc.gov/unclaimed-property/

Or call the SC DOI

Thanks highland. Calling the DOI sounds like a good suggestion.

 

[balloonshark]

Looking up the contact info yourself is always a good idea.

You can also talk to the state insurance office for that state, to see whether or not the company is still in business. It might be phishers who have stolen the identity of a closed company.

That's usually what I do. I hit a snag when it said the business was closed. Plus search engines are almost worthless when it comes to reverse phone number lookups so I ended up hitting a dead end.

 

[mztykal]

Protective is a legit company. I have my life insurance through them. Signed up through Costco...

 

[DaveSimmons]

There's also the State Attorney General's office. They'd probably like to know if someone is using the business for phishing, and they could help setting the closed or not closed question.