Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs says his office returned a record $307.8 million in unclaimed property in fiscal year 2026, paid to more than 567,000 residents, businesses and organizations. The year before, the office returned $303.8 million to nearly 312,000 people. The money comes from forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, unpaid insurance benefits and similar funds that sit with the state until the owner or an heir is found.
The treasurer’s office restated those totals on Oct. 26, when it urged Illinoisans to search the state’s ICash database before Halloween. Frerichs said people “might find enough money for a bag of candy, a really good Halloween costume or tickets to a haunted house.” Behind the joke is a serious number: the office says it must return unclaimed property to owners or heirs no matter how long it takes.
Who should search ICash first
Anyone with a current or former Illinois address, and heirs of relatives who lived or banked in the state, can search for a name on ICash, the state’s unclaimed property site. The search takes a name and a city or ZIP code. If a match appears, the claim starts online, and the Treasurer’s office says helping people search and claim costs nothing. It recommends searching at least twice a year, because businesses keep turning over new property…