State Treasurer Michael Frerichs says there is over $3 billion in unclaimed property in the state. A statewide advertising and direct mail push began this week to reunite Illinois residents with their unclaimed property. Frerichs wants to emphasize to residents that the mail is not a scam: “We have done such a good job of telling people that there are identity thieves out there trying to steal their money that it has made it hard for my office to give away money. We hope the advertising and mail push will encourage residents of the state to claim their cash and property. Every year I’ve been in office we’ve set records for unclaimed property returned.” Frerichs hopes to break last year’s record of unclaimed property recovered.
This specific U.S. mail effort is an attempt to connect thousands of Illinois residents with more than $77 million in cash that has been recently reported and remitted to the Illinois treasury. Frerichs is tasked with safeguarding unclaimed property, such as unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards.
Individuals can search the state treasurer’s database for their name or the name of their business or non-profit at www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICASH. Because the treasurer’s office accepts unclaimed property twice each year, Frerichs encourages individuals to search the database twice each year.