Illinois Is Sending Checks To 140,000 People–And It’s Not A Scam

Just look at that smile.

It's really hard to believe that the same organization (Illinois state government) that sends out tax bills and license renewals is actually sending out something that can produce the same level of happiness that you get when you find a wad of cash in the pocket of your old winter coat.

There's just something smile-worthy about found money. And that's exactly what this is.

The checks being sent out (and those that have already been sent) from Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs are found money, of sorts. They're just not calling it that. Instead of found money, the State Treasurer's office is calling it "unclaimed property," and it's part of Illinois' "Enhanced Money Match" program.

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Knows That Some People Who Receive A Check From The State Will Think That It's A Scam Because They Didn't Know About Their Unclaimed Property

Illinois State Treasurer Frerichs is probably very aware that scam artists out there often use fake checks to trick people out of their hard-earned money and personal information, so he called a press conference on Tuesday to explain to Illinois residents that these checks are the real deal, even though many recipients of the checks have no idea that they are on the list of those with unclaimed property in Illinois.

Just how many Illinois residents will be getting checks?

According to Frerichs, 138,561 people are included in this round of Illinois' "Enhanced Money Match" program, which allows the Treasurer's office to automatically return missing money to residents without the residents needing to file a claim for the money.

That's Enough Background--You Probably Want To Know If You'll Be Getting A Check, And If So, Just How Much You Can Expect To Receive

Okay, so you won't be getting a check that's big enough for you to retire or buy a new car or house, but what you will get is something you never expected to get anyway.

According to the Illinois State Treasurer's office, $13.2 million from the state's Enhanced Money Match program is what's being divided up in this round of payments, and those who receive a check should expect it to be for $50 to $100.

What hoops do you have to jump through for the money?

There aren't any. The Illinois State Treasurer says that you should just cash or deposit the check, and then you're done.

To see if you have unclaimed property, check the online database at www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICASH