The Alberta government is actively seeking the rightful owners of a staggering $154 million in unclaimed money and property.

The province’s unclaimed property registry, which includes millions in cash, cheques, money orders, and other items, aims to reconnect individuals with their lost or forgotten assets.

In 2023 alone, Alberta’s unclaimed property registry successfully returned $1.4 million to 650 individuals. Despite these efforts, nearly 350,000 individual items remain unclaimed. Among these items is one valued at over $850,000, which, if claimed, would set a new record for the largest single payout in the province’s history. The current record stands at $368,124, which was returned to its rightful owner in 2019.

“Who doesn’t like free money? Alberta’s unclaimed property registry is free and easy to check, and a quick search of the registry could help reunite someone with money that they may not even know they were entitled to,” said Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance.

Since the inception of the unclaimed property registry in 2008, the program has returned $13.8 million to more than 8,500 owners. The unclaimed funds originate from various sources, including unclaimed deposits, uncashed wages, loan overpayments, and funds from inactive investment accounts.

The program operates under the Unclaimed Personal Property and Vested Property Act, which allows owners a 10-year period to reclaim their lost assets. After this period, any unclaimed money is transferred to the government’s general revenue fund, which supports programs and services for Albertans.

Individuals interested in searching for unclaimed property can do so through the MissingMoney website. This portal, used by Alberta and other North American jurisdictions, allows users to search for unclaimed property across multiple regions.

For more information or to conduct a search, visit the MissingMoney website and see if you might be entitled to a share of the $154 million waiting to be claimed.

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