Attention Illinois residents: You may be one of nearly 140,000 people that has an unclaimed money check with your name on it waiting to be cashed, according to the Illinois State Treasurer's office.
According to state treasurer Michael Frerichs, the checks, made out to 138,561 people, are part of the latest round of the state's "Enhanced Money Match" program, which directs the office to automatically return missing money to residents without the need to file a claim.
The vast majority of checks in the latest round are for between $50 and $100, for a total of $13.2 million, Frerichs' office said.
During a 10 a.m. update, Frerichs' office stressed that receiving the money was as easy as cashing the check.
"A few weeks ago, we sent letters out to people saying we had money for them, and that it was coming in the mail," Frerichs said during the update. "We told them why, and the amounts."
Checks were dropped in the mail over the past few days, Frerichs said, and encouraged residents to check their mailboxes.
"If you are home, if you see a check in the mail from the State Treasurer's office, it's not a scam," Frerichs said. "All you have to do is open that envelope and cash that check."
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"Returning this money to its rightful owners will help make life a little bit easier for people," Frerichs said in a previous statement. "At a time when we are all dealing with higher prices, it can pay for a couple bags of groceries or maybe a fill-up or two at the pump."
Illinois missing money: How the program works
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The state's "Enhanced Money Match" program crossmatches data from the state with the State Treasurer's unclaimed property database, the release said. Frerichs' office then matches and confirms names and mailing addresses and then subsequently sends a letter to the unclaimed property owner that contains the amount of unclaimed money, and the source.
Following a "quick, final review," a check is issued to the owner, the release said.
"All they have to do is watch for it in the mail a few weeks after they receive a letter from the State Treasurer's Office," the release said.
Don't don't forget to deposit the check, Frerichs' office stressed.
The program is specifically designed for cash owed to a single person, the release said.
"Not included is cash owned by multiple parties, including a joint holding of a parent and minor child, as well as shares of stocks and bonds, escrow accounts, and the contents of bank safe deposit boxes," the release added.
According to officials, the money match program is part of the office's "Unclaimed Property" program, also known as I-Cash. Illinois currently holds more than $5 billion unclaimed property, the release said.
The release stressed that the treasurer is legally required to return unclaimed property to its rightful owners or heirs, "no matter how long it takes."
How to see if you have unclaimed money in Illinois
While the money match program only applies to individuals, the state's searchable I-Cash database can be found here. The database contains unclaimed property information for individuals, properties or businesses.
You can check the I-Cash database to see if you have unclaimed money here.
You can also visit the Comptroller's website to check for unclaimed money here. The Office of the Comptroller currently has records of almost 150,000 uncashed checks worth over $50 million, the website said.
