PRESS RELEASE
Treasurer Fitzpatrick Launches Annual 12 Days of Unclaimed Property on Social Media

Jefferson City, MO – It’s the most wonderful time of the year—and
Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is reminding Missourians to channel
their inner-Santa Claus and check the Unclaimed Property list. Beginning today
and continuing through December 16, the @MOTreasurer official social media
platforms will encourage Missourians to search the Unclaimed Property database
for their names and others they know. All posts will use the hashtag
#12DaysofUCP. “Cyber Monday has come and gone but
this deal lasts year round and always has free shipping,” Treasurer Fitzpatrick
said. “My Office holds over $1 billion in Unclaimed Property and we want to
return it to rightful owners—especially as we approach the holidays and
continue weathering the impact of COVID-19. While these social posts take a
tongue-in-cheek tone about some of the items in the unclaimed property vault
and names on the list, I hope Missourians will take a serious look and maybe
find an unexpected holiday gift.” State law requires financial
institutions, insurance companies, public agencies and other business entities
to turn over unclaimed assets to the Treasurer’s Office. Most Unclaimed
Property consists of cash from bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and contents of
safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned. It can also include uncollected
insurance policy proceeds, government refunds, utility deposits, and wages from
past jobs. Treasurer Fitzpatrick is committed to finding innovative
ways to use available resources to reunite Unclaimed Property with rightful
owners. Last week, the Treasurer’s Office announced that a new partnership with the
Missouri Department of Labor that cross-references the Unclaimed Property list with
Missourians who have applied for unemployment benefits had returned $700,000 in
more than 4,000 claims in just one month. Last year, Treasurer Fitzpatrick worked with the Department of Social
Services to
launch an automated system that matches Unclaimed Property with past-due child
support. This new system has returned more than $3.5 million in past-due child
support payments to Missouri families. Since taking office in 2019,
Treasurer Fitzpatrick has broken three Unclaimed Property records, returning
the first $1 million of his administration in less than 10 days, returning
over $45 million in one fiscal year, and returning
Unclaimed Property to more Missourians in one year than any prior
treasurer. The
Treasurer’s Office currently manages over $1 billion in unclaimed assets in
more than five million owner accounts. Unclaimed Property is waiting for one in
ten Missourians, and the average return is nearly $300. Missourians can search
and claim Unclaimed Property year-round at ShowMeMoney.com. ### Follow the Treasurer’s Office on Twitter,
Facebook, and Instagram @motreasurer.