Nearly 5,000 Mississippians will receive money they are owed, but have not yet claimed in the form of checks from the state treasury.
State Treasurer David McRae announced on Thursday that $1.3 million is expected to be distributed to roughly 4,700 residents through his office’s unclaimed money division. The checks are the result of a “money match” that the state treasury undertook to return uncashed state-issued checks — tax returns, and undeposited state paychecks — to the rightful owners.
“You know the feeling of receiving an unexpected gift like a handwritten note or surprise tickets to a ballgame,” McRae said. “That surprised feeling is similar to what it’s like when you discover you have unclaimed money with the State Treasury. Those unexpected gifts just hit differently.”
McRae is the first treasurer in state history to conduct money matches of this magnitude, with the first match having been in November of 2024. The state treasurer reminds the public that his agency is not interested in keeping people’s funds, and continues to encourage Mississippians and even nonprofits to claim the money that belongs to them. Folks can click here to see if they are entitled to any unclaimed property.
“Unclaimed money belongs to you, not the state,” McRae said. “So please, cash the check immediately upon receipt. Save it, spend it, use it as you may, but whatever you do, don’t let the check expire or you could lose access to these funds.”
In its more than 40 years of existence, the state treasury’s unclaimed money department has returned nearly $300 million to rightful owners. More than $150 million of that figure has been handed out since McRae first assumed office in 2020.