Oct. 8, 2013- Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford is encouraging Moultrie County area residents to attend an I-Cash event on Today (Thursday, October 10) to determine if the state is holding any money or unclaimed property. In fact, 3,523 owners in Moultrie County have $339,746 in unclaimed property according to the July list of unclaimed property holders.

I-Cash staff will be on site from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. to help local residents find out if they have unclaimed property.

“People are thrilled to find out they have money just waiting for them through I-Cash,” said Treasurer Rutherford. “I encourage area residents to come visit I-Cash staff for assistance in locating their money or property. In addition everyone should make an attempt to review the online database several times a year so they don’t miss out on money or valuable assets the state is holding for them.”

The rebranding of the I-Cash program has dramatically increased the number of searches and claims filed. In the first month after the launch of I-Cash, the number of web visits increased by 140 percent, and the number of claims increased by 322 percent as compared to the month prior.

The treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division’s costs, including staff, computers and travel, are paid for through the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund, and not by tax dollars.

The I-Cash program helps reunite owners with their unclaimed property. The Unclaimed Property Division has $1.7 billion in cash, plus contents from Illinois safe deposit boxes that have been inactive for at least five years. During Treasurer Rutherford’s first year in office, the Unclaimed Property Division returned more than $100 million to the people who owned those assets, a 27 percent increase over the previous year. It’s common for people to lose track of their assets when they move or when loved ones pass away. Businesses and banks are required to turn over unclaimed accounts to the treasurer’s office.

Some examples of unclaimed property currently held by the treasurer’s office include:

• Money from inactive savings and checking accounts
• Unpaid wages or commissions
• Stocks, bonds and mutual funds
• Money orders and bill overpayments
• Paid-up life insurance policies
• Safe deposit box contents.

To find out if you have unclaimed property through I-Cash, visit www.treasurer.il.gov and follow the I-Cash link. The website is updated weekly to reflect new properties remitted to the office. Additionally, I-Cash teams conduct regular outreach across the state, place twice-annual notices in newspapers and send direct mail to new single-owner claimants with property worth more than $100. You can contact the Unclaimed Property Division by calling 217-785-6998 or emailing info@Icash.Illinois.gov, although searches cannot be completed by telephone.