State treasurer wants to return unclaimed money to the people

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) -The state’s treasurer’s office is on a multi-million dollar mission to get unclaimed money back to its rightful owners: You.

With just a few clicks, that missing money could land in the backpocket.

For people here in the Pine Belt and across the state, there is a possibility that people may have money waiting for them.

It’s held at the state treasury under unclaimed property and unclaimed money.

“It is a way to get unfound money back to the people in Mississippi. and this is money that has been lost over time from a utility payment, deposits you put down,, all the way to life insurance policies or if someone dies and you’re in the will and they can’t find you,” Treasurer David McRae said.

After about five years, the money is returned to the state.

McRae said he wants to the money to go where it belongs.

“We’ve been able to get back roughly $75 million to the people of Mississippi since I started in office,” McRae said. “That is roughly $2,000 per person. And one in 10 people in Mississippi have unclaimed money just sitting at the treasury, waiting to be found”

McRae said the process of filing a claim is simple and money could b e returned in as little as a month.

“The easiest way to do it is go treasury.ms.gov and search your name, your families names, your church’s names, or whatever you want to search and it’ll pull you up and from there we’ll get it to you as fast as possible,” McRae said. “If it’s not, we will reach out to you and find you.”

“It’s great to have a little extra money in your pocket,” McRae said. “Things are more expensive these days, food costs more,, gas costs more, rent costs more.

“So, to have a little extra money in your pocket for the people of Mississippi is a great benefit. I think this is one of the best government departments in the state of Mississippi.”

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