AUGUSTA– December 11 – State Treasurer Terry Hayes announced today that the Office of the State Treasurer has sent notification of Unclaimed Property to 2750 Mainers. Notifications were sent through the U.S. Postal Service on a postcard.
Hayes reports that “if you do not receive a postcard from my office, you may still have property. Postcards were sent to select individuals with accounts that hold $1,000 or more, but there are hundreds of millions of dollars in additional property. Every citizen needs to review the list of Unclaimed Property. It should be just as routine as filing taxes each year.”
Treasurer Hayes also warns about fraudulent schemes purporting to be from her Office. “If someone is asking for a payment or personal information, tear it up, or hang up the phone, because that is a scam. Call our office directly or go to our website.”
At present, the Treasurer holds $241,879,913 of Unclaimed Property. It is easy and free to file a claim. To file a claim, go to https://www.maine.gov/upsearch and follow the easy to use instructions.
Unclaimed Property consists of money and other financial assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner cannot be located after a specified period of inactivity. It includes items such as bank accounts, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, unpaid wages, stocks and dividends, refunds, and safe deposit box contents.