# Unclaimed Funds - Anyone gotten rich this way? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823 "2003-07-11T21:18:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/1 "2003-07-11T21:18:51Z")
While farting around online today I discovered that lots of US states and some other countries such as Canada have online, searchable databases of “unclaimed funds”. This is old bank accounts that you had forgotten, or granpas insurance policy that noone knew he had etc. I am completely fascinated and have been plugging my American friends names into these sites all afternoon. Had you heard of this before? Have you found money this way before? Are you now madly rich? Tell so that I may live vicariously through you, Ireland is a backwater with no such online source that I can find. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/2 "2003-07-11T23:01:12Z")
My brother claimed $750 from the State of California. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/3 "2003-07-11T23:08:50Z")
No, but I was elated to find my penny pinching Psycho Manic Depressive Trust Fund Baby Ex-fiancee has unclaimed tax refunds. Erm, no, I didn’t let her know. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/4 "2003-07-12T02:53:39Z")
My grandfather got $500. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/5 "2003-07-12T14:04:38Z")
A company that finds this sort of thing and notifies the potential beneficiaries (for a 33% fee) notified my sister and me that our grandad had an unclaimed life insurance policy “out there somewhere”. After not being able to find anything ourselves, we agreed to the company’s terms, and signed a contract. Turned out to be a small amount, $6000. So me, Sis, and the company each got our 2K, and it came in handy at the time. Wish there had been a few more zeros to the left of the decimal though. That woulda’ been 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/6 "2003-07-12T14:21:07Z")
I’ve found several friends and families, small amounts that they’d forgotten about, using Bank Of Canada’s Unclaimed Balances [found here.](http://ucbswww.bank-banque-canada.ca/scripts/search_english.asp) . None for myself though. ☹ Daizy ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/7 "2003-07-12T15:37:17Z")
THere is a way to find lost funds for free. Try going to [www.missingmoney.com](http://www.missingmoney.com) . ---
**Author:** ![smaft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@smaft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaft)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/8 "2003-07-12T15:39:57Z")
I handle the unclaimed funds we hold at work, and just for this half of the state, we’ve got about $1.5M in $25 or more each, waiting for people to show up. Now, one of those is $300K, but still, there’s a lot of change sitting around waiting. If you want to make money at it, try working as a funds locator (like **JCoM** dealt with). They track people down and match them to unclaimed funds, and take a substantial cut (20-50%) of whatever they are able to find. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/9 "2003-07-12T16:40:29Z")
Rather than using a search service which charges money, you may be able to search your state’s unclaimed funds registry online. First go to your state’s website. I believe all U.S. states have websites locatable at “[www.state.XX.us](http://www.state.XX.us)” where “XX” is replaced by the state postal abbreviation (i.e. “[www.state.ny.us](http://www.state.ny.us)” for New York). From there, search for either “unclaimed funds” or “escheat” (the legal term). For instance, the [NY Office of Unclaimed Funds](http://www.osc.state.ny.us/cgi-bin/db2www/ouffrm.d2w/input) is under the State Comptroller’s website. Unfortunately, I have no unclaimed funds on file. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/10 "2003-07-12T18:53:37Z")
Some of the state sites also called it a “Treasure Hunt” so you can try searching for that on their sites as well (I am thinking of Arkansas here). I read on the Ohio site that finders are not allowed to take more than 10% in that state, so one should probably check that out too if you go with a finder. Look yourself first though I would say, I found it really exciting, even though I was only searching for friends 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/11 "2003-07-12T21:59:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Iteki \* > \*\*Had you heard of this before? Have you found money this way before? Are you now madly rich? \*\* Yes, I and a couple of other people I know rec’d our “unclaimed funds.” Not madly rich. I also referred the site to a friend whose deceased sister has money sitting there. The family can get it on her behalf, but they appear too lazy to fill out a few pieces of paper. Only in America? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unclaimed-funds-anyone-gotten-rich-this-way/187823/12 "2003-07-13T00:22:14Z")
After reading this thread, I did a few searches. I found my late uncle’s name, so I forwarded the info to my mom to pass on to my cousin (I don’t have an address for her) Hope it’s worth her while to pursue it. I checked my name in every state where I lived, but nothing. I’m pretty good at keeping track of my money.