State treasury to start approaching people with unclaimed property directly

“Find Mass Money” may soon be finding, or contacting, you.

Through its new Claim Mass Money program, the Massachusetts State Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Division will soon contact residents that have unclaimed money, the treasury announced Monday. Previously, the treasury relied on residents to search its Find Mass Money database to find out if they have unclaimed funds.

“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for Massachusetts residents to reclaim money that rightfully belongs to them,” Treasurer Deborah Goldberg said in a statement. “This program shows our commitment to finding new ways to reach residents, remove barriers, and return unclaimed funds to their rightful owners.”

The Claim Mass Money program automatically approves eligible claims, eliminating the need for claim forms or additional documentation, the treasury said. After receiving a letter, residents can use their claim ID to verify their information and complete the process online.

The State Treasury is utilizing LexisNexis data to verify property owners and identify those entitled to unclaimed funds. Previously, the Unclaimed Property Division faced restrictions surrounding data matching, limiting its ability to match residents with unclaimed money, the treasury said.