Unclaimed cash checks from Illinois in the mail for 140,000 people – NBC Chicago

Attention Illinois residents: According to the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office, you may be one of nearly 140,000 people who have an unclaimed cash check with your name on it waiting to be cashed.

According to State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, the checks issued to 138,561 people are part of the latest round of the state’s Enhanced Money Match program, which directs the department to automatically return missing money to residents without the need to file a lawsuit.

The vast majority of checks in the latest round are for $50 to $100, bringing the total to $13.2 million, according to a recent press release from Frerichs’ office.

Frerichs was expected to speak more about the program at a news conference with state lawmakers at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

“Returning this money to its rightful owners will help make people’s lives a little easier,” Treasurer Frerichs said in an earlier statement. “At a time when we’re all dealing with higher prices, a few bags of groceries or maybe a tank of gas or two at the pump may be worth it.”

Illinois is short of money: This is how the program works

The state’s Enhanced Money Match program matches the state’s data with the state treasurer’s database of unclaimed property, the release said. Frerichs’ office then matches names and mailing addresses, confirms them, and then sends a letter to the unclaimed property owner indicating the amount of unclaimed money and the source.

After a “brief, final review,” a check will be issued to the owner, the statement said.

“All they have to do is make sure it arrives in the mail a few weeks after they receive a letter from the state treasurer’s office,” the release said.

Don’t forget to deposit the check, Frerich’s office stressed.

The program is specifically designed to address cash debt owed by a single person, the release said.

“It does not include cash owned by multiple parties, including joint property of a parent and a minor child, as well as stocks and bonds, escrow accounts, and the contents of safe deposit boxes,” the release continued.

According to officials, the Money Match program is part of the bureau’s Unclaimed Property program, also known as I-Cash. Illinois currently has more than $5 billion worth of unclaimed property, the release said.

The press release emphasized that the treasurer is legally obligated 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 real estate information for individuals, properties or businesses.

Here you can check the I-Cash database to see if you have unclaimed money.

You can also visit the Comptroller’s website to check for unclaimed funds here. The Office of the Comptroller currently has records of nearly 150,000 uncashed checks valued at over $50 million, the website says.