Treasurer Moore announces record breaking unclaimed property returns

CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – State Treasurer Riley Moore announced that the Unclaimed Property Division has once again set a new record for returning lost funds.

The division returned nearly $28 million worth of unclaimed property to individuals, businesses, and organizations over the last fiscal year. Treasurer Moore expressed his pride in the Office’s achievement, stating that this marks the third year in a row that they have set a new record for unclaimed property returns.

Since taking office in 2021, over $81 million has been returned to citizens, and this trend is expected to continue. Treasurer Moore acknowledged the hard work of the entire team in reuniting citizens, businesses, and other organizations with their lost funds and emphasized that these funds rightfully belong to the people.

In the fiscal year 2024, the Unclaimed Property Division returned $27,989,624.99 in funds, surpassing the previous record. Since its establishment in 1967, the program has returned more than $311 million to rightful owners. Treasurer Moore has taken steps to modernize and streamline the unclaimed property process since taking office in 2021.

This effort included working with lawmakers to pass House Bill 4511 in 2022, which improved the process of claiming funds and how funds and properties are turned over to the Office. The passage of House Bill 4511 also led to the launch of the successful “West Virginia Cash Now” program, which has automatically returned roughly $7 million to individuals since its inception, with another $3.3 million set to be returned this fall.

Additionally, the Office has increased its digital marketing efforts to raise awareness of the program with various online and mobile audiences, and launched a mobile version of the website that features an SMS text feature allowing users to forward unclaimed property listings to family and friends if they see their names listed.

To assure residents of the legitimacy of the program, the state’s unclaimed property website and database were migrated to a .gov domain. Treasurer Moore acknowledged the challenge of gaining public trust in the program and highlighted ongoing efforts to educate people about the program and assure them that the unclaimed funds rightfully belong to them.

While the Office is returning funds at the fastest pace in state history, it is also receiving new claims at a record pace, thanks in part to the modernization and streamlining reforms contained in House Bill 4511. The State Treasurer’s Office now has more than $440 million worth of listings in its database.

Residents are encouraged to regularly check the website to see if the Office is holding any unclaimed property for them.