Illinois State Treasurer’s Office News Releases

SPRINGFIELD — One of the state’s oldest consumer-protection initiatives returned $226 million in lost and misplaced money to an estimated 174,000 people last year despite an economy struggling under the weight and fear of a global pandemic, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today. The program, often referred to as I-Cash, safeguards unclaimed property such as unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards until it can be returned to its owner. The state treasurer is required to return the money no matter how long it takes.…

SPRINGFIELD — An 1827 Bust half dollar coin, vintage 18K yellow gold manual wind Patek Philippe men’s watch, commemorative Olympic coins and sport memorabilia, including cards for Chicago legends Michael Jordan and Frank Thomas, are among the unclaimed property items worth nearly $150,000 to be auctioned on Aug. 21 at the Lincoln Stage during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. “We are excited to visit the state fair and look forward to interacting with collectors for this year’s unclaimed property live auction,” Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said. “We have…