CLEVELAND — Are you missing any money? There could be hundreds or thousands of dollars waiting for you to claim it.
"We know that there's almost $4 billion that we are safeguarding," said Susie Wagner with Ohio's Division of Unclaimed Funds.
Those funds are in the form of uncashed checks, insurance payments, or old apartment deposits.
Cuyahoga County ranks No. 1 out of the state's 88 counties, with nearly half a billion dollars in unclaimed funds, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce.
Top 10 Counties in Northeast Ohio by Amount of Unclaimed Funds
- Cuyahoga (Ohio rank: 1) – $477 million
- Summit (5) – $130 million
- Stark (7) – $71.6 million
- Mahoning (9) – $58.9 million
- Lorain (10) – $49.4 million
- Lake (11) – $44.1 million
- Trumbull (13) – $38.7 million
- Portage (18) – $27.7 million
- Medina (20) – $25.3 million
- Columbiana (22) – $19.4 million
Top Five Counties in Ohio by Amount of Unclaimed Funds
- Cuyahoga – $477 million
- Franklin – $343.1 million
- Hamilton – 267.3 million
- Montgomery – 1331.4 million
- Summit – 130 million
You can search an online database to see if you have any money that can be claimed.
Good Morning Cleveland anchor Mike Brookbank asked Wagner how to know whether the website you're searching for is legit.
"We send you to missingmoney.com — a state-authorized website," said Wagner. "You don't have to put in your social. You are basically entering your contact information."
If the database finds money in your name, you'll need to prove your identity by providing documents like your driver's license or state ID card. Once your claim is approved, the state will mail you a check.
According to the Ohio Department of Commerce, there is no fee or payment required to claim your unclaimed funds.
"Ohio law does allow finders who can locate, recover or assist in recovering unclaimed funds on behalf of another person in exchange for a fee, but finders are not required and they must hold a valid certificate of registration," Ohio Department of Commerce Public Information Officer Jarrod Clay said.
Ohio's Division of Unclaimed Funds received more than 43,000 claims last year. The average payout was $3,000.
CLICK HERE for more information about checking to see if you have unclaimed funds.
