DES MOINES, Iowa – State Treasurer Roby Smith announced the addition of more security features to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt in an effort to stop fraudsters from stealing money.
Each year, millions of dollars are turned over to the State Treasurer’s Office after financial institutions and businesses lose contact with the owner. Through Great Iowa Treasure Hunt events, press, social media and other promotional efforts, the program works to reunite the assets with their rightful owner.
“With scammers becoming more sophisticated, it is crucial for Great Iowa Treasure Hunt to stay prepared for such threats,” Mr. Smith said in a news release. “Now there is an additional assessment done on every claim to ensure the safety of the unclaimed funds we’re holding.”
These lost assets come from instances such as dormant checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, utility refunds, lost stocks and life insurance policies. In addition to money, contents from abandoned safe deposit boxes also are held in safekeeping. Currently, the State Treasurer’s Office is holding more than $529 million in unclaimed funds waiting to be claimed, and more than 1 million owners have been reunited with their lost assets.
To see if you have unclaimed property in Iowa, visit GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov. Connect with the Treasurer on Facebook, Instagram and X to stay up-to-date on all areas of the office.
“Keeping Iowa’s money safe is a top priority of mine, which includes assets that have been forgotten or lost by their owner,” added Mr. Smith. “We’ve implemented additional Great Iowa Treasure Hunt security features to help us prevent fraudsters from attempting to steal money that isn’t theirs.”
