SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – If you have unclaimed property in the state of Illinois, you could be getting it back soon.
The state will be sending out checks of up to $5,000 to more than 66-thousand people as part of the unclaimed property program.
Treasurer Mike Frerichs says they matched the recipients through his office’s “Money Match” initiative.
“We’re sitting on over $3 billion of unclaimed property we want to put back in people’s hands. So we need to know their address, their social security number, so we look at other state databases and match them for people who are owed money,” Frerichs said.
Frerichs says it’s not a scam, and letters will be sent out this month. The checks are expected to be mailed a few weeks later.
He says the state is trying to make a bigger effort to get people the property that they’re owed.
“For years, we have told you about unclaimed property, but too many people have not claimed their money,” Frerichs said. “We want to make it very easy by tracking the rightful owners down and mailing them a check.”
Frerichs says in total around $47 million will be returned in this round.
