Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - $14,400 -- that's how much money we helped 41 NewsChannel 9 viewers claim Wednesday evening, during our unclaimed funds call-in with the New York State Comptroller.
If you missed out, it's never too late.
Searching their database on your own is quick and easy, but you have to be sure you're on the right site to avoid paying for something that should be free.
We started hearing from a few people who were trying to see if there were unclaimed funds in their name, after our broadcast yesterday, and came across websites that claim, for an upfront fee, they'll search and help you recover any money that might be yours.
But don't be misled; they're trying to charge you for something you can do on your own for free. You don't need to pay money to see if you are owed money.
The legitimate website to search for unclaimed funds is the New York State Comptroller's site. All you have to do is put in your last name and the cities you've lived in and they'll let you know if you've got any money, and then how to go about claiming it.
There's no fee, no funny business. If you've lived in other states, check that state comptroller’s website too.
Wednesday, one person alone found $3,500 in their name which was reimbursement for an insurance claim they never knew about.
Who knows how much could be waiting for you? Just don't pay to find out.
CLICK HERE to visit the NY State Comptroller’s website and get more information about unclaimed funds.
May 5, 2009:
In Depth - Your Dollars: Searching for unclaimed funds
The State of New York is currently holding about $9 billion in unclaimed funds. Some of this money may belong to you!
Tuesday night on NewsChannel 9, we went In Depth on how you claim that money.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli was here to tell us where the funds came from, and to see if any of it belonged to you.
What kind of funds become unclaimed? According to DiNapoli’s office:
- Savings Accounts
- Checking Accounts
- Uncashed Checks
- Telephone/Utility Deposits
- Rental Security Deposits
- Wages
- Insurance Benefits/Policies
- Safe Deposit Box Contents
- Mortgage Insurance Refunds
- Stocks and Dividends
- Mutual Funds
- Certificates of Deposit
- Trust Funds
- Estate Proceeds
The accounts can become unclaimed if someone moved, without notifying everyone they did business with of their new address, opened a school savings account as a child, or for your own child and then forgot about it, moved without getting their utility deposit refund, or various other ways.
In cases like these, your money is eventually turned over to the state, and become unclaimed funds.
Click here to check via the internet to see if you have any unclaimed funds. If you prefer, you can call the State Comptroller's office at
1-800-221-9311; hours are Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
