Unclaimed funds up for grabs in NY, NJ, CT

NEW YORK -- Thanks to Eyewitness News nearly 18-hundred people are richer.

Following Tuesday's 11:00 p.m. 7 On Your Side report showing how to find and claim your unclaimed funds, the New York Comptroller reports their unclaimed funds site has been visited more than 52,000 times - that's five times more than normal. That resulted in nearly 18-hundred new online claims for money. That's double the amount the comptroller normally gets.

Billions of dollars are up for grabs in unclaimed funds across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

In New York alone, the numbers make the big lottery jackpot look like peanuts -- $14 billion in the state's unclaimed funds chest.

It's your money. All you have to do is claim it. And you can get it fast and free.

In New York state one person has 1.7 million waiting for him or her in unclaimed funds. You may not be that person, but the state comptroller still wants to put you in touch with your money left behind in some sort of account.

"We are giving back about a million dollars a day," said New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

The first step to be reunited with your lost money is to go to your state's unclaimed funds website, type in your last name, first name and hit search.

SEARCH YOUR STATE HERE
- Click here to search New York's unclaimed funds
- Click here to search New Jersey's unclaimed funds
- Click here to search Connecticut's unclaimed funds

TIPS FOR SEARCHING

- Make sure you try your maiden name

- Try searching with no first name

If you have a relative who passed away you could be entitled to their unclaimed funds, too.

We searched the names of people 7 On Your Side had recently helped with problems.

One of them, hard-working landscaper, Rocco Mazzeo, had more than $100 unclaimed in his name.

Martin Maturine got back $145.

A Brooklyn businessman, who wanted to remain anonymous, struck the jackpot and got back more than $3,000 in lost money.

The big takeaway, this is free. There are plenty of websites that offer to help you, but they'll charge you a percentage.