Illinois treasurer returns $22.7M in unclaimed property back to owners

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has announced that $22.7 million in unclaimed property was returned to their rightful owners last month. Over 11,000 claims were paid during the month of March.

The Illinois State Treasurer's Office has returned $1.6 billion since Frerichs took office in 2015.

Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.

Illinois currently holds more than $3.5 billion in unclaimed property, Frerichs said. These assets include overlooked safe deposit boxes, unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards.

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"I place a priority on reuniting people with money that belongs to them," Frerichs said. "Putting money in people's pockets is a way to help the state's economy. We will hold onto unclaimed property as long as it takes to return it."

To check for unclaimed property, visit www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICASH.