Feb 13, 2009 9:00 am US/Eastern
NYS Holding $9 Billion In Unclaimed Funds
You Could Very Well Be Entitled To Some Of This Fortune; All You Have To Do Is Contact The State Comptroller
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Do you need some extra cash? Forget checking your coat pockets or under the sofa cushions.
As CBS 2 HD found out, you could have a big chunk of change waiting for you and all you have to do to get your hands on it … is
ask.
The odds of winning the New York State Lottery are 18 million to 1.
But take a gamble at the New York State Comptroller's Web site and chances are 1 in 10 you will hit the jackpot.
"We have the equivalent of 23 million accounts totaling $9 billion at this point," Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said.
The comptroller's office keeps track of all unclaimed funds -- money that's been turned over to the state by banks, former employers and even the Internal Revenue Service -- because they can't find you to give it back.
"Very often it's an old bank account or maybe a security deposit you had with an old utility," DiNapoli said.
The typical check is $50 to $100, but can be much more.
"We do have a single account worth over $1.5 million, but we haven't been able to find this person," DiNapoli said.
Don't think you could be that lucky? CBS 2 HD actually tracked down one winner.
Elana Oved of Lawrence, N.Y., was shocked when we surprised her, complete with oversized check and balloons -- dividends from old stock.
"It's an early birthday," Oved said. "I think it's great."
Other notable New Yorkers who've cashed in on unclaimed funds recently include Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who got a cool $76,000, and Suffolk County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki was shocked to find out he had a stash of cash of more than $180,000. Even celebs like Susan Sarandon and Keifer Sutherland are leaving money on the table, as are CBS 2 HD staffers Don Dahler and Chris Wragge.
To get your money you need to fill in the online form and provide proof of a connection to the account.
"I hope mine is six figures, just like this check!" Oved said.
Another secret source of cash is the Treasury Department. It says it has more than $16 billion in unredeemed savings bonds. So check your drawers and safety deposit boxes for a savings bond you may have received as a gift when you were a kid.
For links to unclaimed funds offices in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and to get tips on how you might be entitled to money from other people's accounts, here are some resources:
N.J. Dept. of Treasury
NYS Comptroller's Office
NYS Unclaimed Funds
NYS Unclaimed Funds FAQ
Conn. Dept. of Treasury
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
World's Most Useless Facts
Click to enlarge
Looming Storm Likely To Bury NYC, Suburbs 56 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments