The Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Unclaimed Funds is celebrating another successful year of helping Ohioans find their missing money at the state fair.
At this year’s fair, the division’s booth helped nearly 1,000 claimants who visited the division’s booth find more than $155,400, with the largest sum found by a fairgoer totaling over $14,000.
“The Ohio State Fair is our largest in-person outreach event and is something we look forward to all year,” said Akil Hardy. Division of Unclaimed Funds Superintendent. “It is always satisfying to be able to help Ohioans reunite with their missing money and to be able to talk to them face-to-face and guide them through the process and answer any questions they may have.”
Each year, the division sets up a table in the Department of Commerce booth to help reunite Ohioans with lost or forgotten funds. Over the past three fairs, the division has helped citizens find more than $867,000.
Unclaimed funds are lost or forgotten money that businesses and banks report to the division after accounts become inactive, typically between three to five years. The money comes from inactive checking and savings accounts, refund/credit balances, uncashed cashier’s checks, stocks and bonds forgotten utility deposits or last paychecks.
The division is currently safeguarding more than $4 billion in unclaimed funds. Individuals who missed the division at the fair can search for possible missing funds online at unclaimedfunds. ohio.gov
