In an effort to reunite property owners with their missing funds, The Maryland Comptroller’s Office is turning to a media outlet far removed from traditional newspaper classified ads – they posted a video on YouTube.

The video, titled “Who’s Watching Your Lost Money?” features several parodies of the popular GEICO car insurance commercials. Like those ads, the Maryland video features people discovering a pile of money with eyes staring back at them.

“The Comptroller's Office is always looking for new ways to promote its unclaimed property program which helps return money to millions of Marylanders every year," said Comptroller Peter Franchot in a press release issued by the state. “YouTube provides a unique vehicle to educate the public about the nearly 800,000 accounts the agency has on its books.”

It’s been more than two years since a federal court ordered California to stop seizing unclaimed funds, saying that the State Controller’s Office didn’t do enough to locate property owners. Although California’s escheatment program was reinstated after the state made sweeping changes, many states are still worried that they too may face similar suspensions.

As a result, they’ve increased their efforts for tracking down property owners, often creating Internet sites where individuals and businesses can search the unclaimed property database. Maryland hopes that the YouTube ads can help them reach residents who many know of the unclaimed property program’s existence.

As of this writing, “Who’s Watching Your Lost Money?” has been viewed more than 900 times. Check it out online now.