SEATTLE, Wash. — The Washington state Attorney General’s Office has recovered over $5.2 million, plus interest, that Washington residents can claim through the state’s unclaimed property program.
According to the press release, the money comes from a lawsuit led by Attorney General Bob Ferguson against MoneyGram. The state’s unclaimed property program, managed by the Department of Revenue, works to return unclaimed funds and property to their rightful owners. This includes uncashed checks, bank funds, insurance proceeds, stocks and more. To check if you have unclaimed property, click here.
The $5.2 million is part of a $190 million settlement between Delaware and a coalition of 30 states to return MoneyGram’s uncashed check funds to the states where they were issued according to the AG’s office.
“This money belongs to Washingtonians,” Ferguson said. “The unclaimed property program helps return funds that are rightfully yours. Every Washingtonian should check if they have funds waiting to be claimed.”
The funds come from uncashed MoneyGram checks bought from banks or credit unions. When these checks are not cashed, the money becomes unclaimed property. Initially, Delaware claimed these funds because MoneyGram is headquartered there. However, Ferguson and other states argued that the funds should go to the states where the checks were issued. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with them.
Checks from 2008 or earlier might still be with Delaware. Visit Delaware’s unclaimed property website by clicking here to see if you have any older unclaimed funds there.
