That $500 check you received from the state isn’t a scam. Go ahead and cash it, state treasurer Stacy Garrity says.
Some Pennsylvania residents are receiving nearly $10 million in the second round of Money Match checks the state has mailed out as the treasury department chips away at more than $5 billion in unclaimed property sitting in the state’s coffers.
The Money Match program authorizes the treasury to automatically return single-owner properties valued at up to $500 after a thorough identification and verification process. The program was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the governor last year.
“It’s exciting to see so many people getting money they didn’t know they had. It’s now important that people cash these checks,” Garrity said. “We want everyone to know this is a real program and this is real money. Every dollar we return to Pennsylvania families is money they can use to buy groceries, fill up their cars with gas, or pay their rent or mortgage. This money belongs to them, not the state.”
Unclaimed property — which includes uncashed checks, abandoned safe deposit box contents and more — is typically reported to treasury department staff after three years. More than 1 in 10 Pennsylvanians are owed some kind of unclaimed property, with an average claim of more than $1,000.
In early May, the treasury sent notification letters to Pennsylvanians indicating that unclaimed property would be automatically returned to them. This second round of the Pennsylvania Money Match includes 39,045 checks. Money Match checks will be sent quarterly. The next batch, which will include about 40,000 letters, will go out in August. The treasury plans to return $30 million through Pennsylvania Money Match in 2025.
At least 14 other states have successfully implemented similar programs.
Pennsylvania Money Match does not apply to claims for properties valued above $500 or those that have multiple owners or other complexities. Those claimants will still need to file a claim and provide any required documentation. Anyone can search online at patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.