The state of Ohio is asking — actually begging — people to check to see if they have unclaimed funds in their names.
The Ohio Department of Commerce says as of February 1, 2024, it is sitting on $4 billion in unclaimed money owed to residents, or people who once lived in the state and moved.
It can be from:
- Un-cashed checks
- Insurance payouts
- Cell phone company deposits
- Old apartment or utility deposits
- Old stock or bank dividends
- Lost inheritances
If the business can't find you, by law they have to turn that money over to the government.
But when we asked a group of lunchtime diners to look up their names on the national database, we learned that most have never done it.
"No, I have not," Jordan Toney said. So she got on her phone, and entered her name.
She couldn't believe what popped up.
"It looks like there are a few in this area, so I'm assuming they are all me," she said.
And when she clicked further, she got a pleasant surprise.
"I have $25 to $50 unclaimed," she said.
How to check to see if you have money
All you have to do is go to MissingMoney.com and look up your name.
However, if you find anything, you will have to give your Social Security Number, as that is how they know you from other people with the same name.
Akil Hardy with the Ohio Department of Commerce says the average claim is now close to $4,000.
"We get people who are pretty confident that they know where their funds are, and there's a good chance that they do know where exactly where everything is. And I was one of those individuals," he said. "But then I came to the Ohio Department of Commerce, commerce, to work under a different capacity, and found out that I actually have unclaimed fund from my last check from a previous employer."
Yes, even the head of Ohio's unclaimed funds department had unclaimed funds in his name.
So give MissingMoney.com a try, so you don't waste your money.
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