CHICAGO – Illinois residents will be getting surprise checks in their mailboxes this summer as part of the state’s effort to return unclaimed money.
What we know:
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is mailing out $45 million to nearly 600,000 people through its Enhanced Money Match program.
The initiative uses existing data to identify people owed unclaimed property and sends them checks automatically—eliminating the usual paperwork.
“The first thing we tell people, is this – the money belongs to you, the check is real, and this is not a scam,” State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said in a statement Wednesday. “The second thing we tell them, is to cash the check! Who couldn’t use a little extra pocket money this summer?”
Most checks are for $50 or less, but some residents have multiple claims that add up to higher amounts.
Frerichs’ office began sending notification letters in late June, with checks continuing to arrive throughout the summer.
By the numbers:
Since the Enhanced Money Match program began in 2018, Illinois has returned more than $130 million to over 870,000 people.
What you can do:
To check for unclaimed money, search the state’s database at www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICASH.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs.
