Wow, I Actually Found Some Unclaimed Money

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Over the years, I’ve read numerous articles about “missing money” that the government may be holding for me. I would always enter my name, but there was never any unclaimed property for me… until today!

I was reading an Businessweek article about how California and many other states were using the interest from all their unclaimed money from things like dormant savings accounts to bridge their budget gaps. Even Warren Buffett is owed $20 from an old escrow account.

I visited the California Unclaimed Property page and found that I was owed $75 from an unclaimed check from “DSL SERVICES LITIGATION ACCOUNT”, which I can only assume is the result of being part of some class action settlement. I’ll have to send in a copy of my driver’s license and Social Security card for identity verification.

You can find your state-specific unclaimed property page via Unclaimed.org. You should search in any state where you have lived. MissingMoney.com is a related site that will search several participating databases all at once, but not all of them (like California, for instance). Finally, also check out TreasuryHunt.gov to locate any Treasury bonds and savings bonds using your Social Security Number.

While looking around, I saw several other official-sounding websites offering to locate missing money for a fee. Not surprisingly, one of them always “found” $156.16 in my name, whether it was James Smith or Iam Notsosmarten. What a scam, so watch out.

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Comments

  1. I regularly checked these sites for myself about a year ago and found some lost money. Hadn’t thought about it much since I knew my name was clean and I had found all of my lost funds. Searched my Mom and Dad since they have moved a few times in the past few years. Found him an old dividend or check.

    Thanks for the reminder Jonathan.

  2. vijaianand says

    Interesting info. I tried my state but not lucky enough to find any free money. Good luck to others…

  3. If did this a few months back and found three items totalling around $500 from a state I lived in two moves ago. It took about six weeks but the State Treasury sent me my check. Woo hoo!

  4. Great tip! I found $115 due my wife, although it is apparently still being transferred to the state so cannot be accessed yet.

  5. That’s interesting.

    I have checked a few times over the years, but figured I am too careful to ever *lose* money like that. (Plus, we rarely move!!)

    But, your post proves the point that it never hurts to check.

  6. Great. Found some money from 2003. Less than $100 but yay!!

  7. Thanks! Money from BedBath is coming to me.

  8. Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager says

    I’ve search those websites before for my name and my family’s last name. No such luck. But very exciting for you! Congrats!

  9. I did this a few years back but didn’t find anything. But did it again today and found $88, nice! I’m going to add this to my annual checklist.

  10. Found about $5 in various credit card rebates. Yeah not worth the time…

  11. I just did this and found something for my dad. It’s under $100 (that’s all MA would tell me) but it’s pretty cool! Seems like an easier way of making money than clipping coupons!

  12. WOW! I found $1900 under my girlfriend’s name (some sort of student refund)… quite a nice surprise.

  13. Tyrone Biggums says

    Cool, thanks! Found a $100+ account in MA under my mother’s name. I told her to submit a claim.

  14. Wow! So many people owe me money, I can’t believe it.

  15. I am quite curious why they don’t just mail the check directly since they have the address on file for a lot of unclaimed funds

  16. Wow! I found lost rebate check that were 8 years old.

  17. Found something under 100 from gas company

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