Unclaimed funds in New York have surpassed $20 billion, including utility deposits, uncashed checks, and unused gift cards. Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says his office is returning over $2 million a day, but the pool of lost money keeps growing. A new law allows the state to mail checks directly for small claims under $250. Residents can use the state’s unclaimed funds database to search and claim money.
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli encourages New Yorkers to check if they have unclaimed funds as the total amount of lost money in the state reaches over $20 billion, up from $19 billion last year. Unclaimed funds come from various sources such as utility deposits, trust funds, old bank accounts, uncashed checks, or unused gift cards.
“We’re returning more than $2 million a day to New Yorkers, but the total pot of lost money is growing,” DiNapoli said. “Unclaimed funds are your money, and in today’s economic climate, every dollar counts. My office is working to make it easier than ever to reclaim lost money, including mailing some checks directly to their rightful owners.”
DiNapoli’s Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF) currently safeguards more than 55 million unclaimed accounts. Thanks to a new law pushed by DiNapoli, New Yorkers are seeing faster returns for some lost money. In January, OUF began mailing checks for newly reported accounts of $250 or less to eligible individuals.
DiNapoli encourages all New Yorkers to search the state’s unclaimed funds database or attend one of the community events statewide for help searching for and claiming funds.
How to Search and Claim Funds
- Search online.
- Call: (800) 221-9311, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Explore: A regional map of unclaimed funds owed by county
For more information, visit the New York State Comptroller's official website.
