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The state of California is once again urging residents to check if they have any lost money or other valuables. California's state controller is holding more than $10 billion in unclaimed property.
"It's uncashed paychecks, inactive bank accounts, insurance benefits, safe-deposit box contents," Jennifer Hanson, press secretary at the state controller's office told NBC7. "Your grandma may have bought Treasury bonds in your name that you never knew about and they were sitting there for years. We will have them sitting there waiting for you to claim."
Residents are being urged to check the online database to see if any of that money could be theirs.
"One in three Californians who visit the site have property to claim," Hanson said. "We just need to prove identity and ownership."
The state currently has 57 million unclaimed properties. While the properties are sometimes very small, it's always worth checking.
Hanson also suggests checking on behalf of relatives.
She pointed out that there are people who make a living by searching these databases and contacting people who have large sums of lost property. They will file for you in exchange for a fee but Hanson says you can do it on your own.
"If you get a call like that, you should reach out directly to the state controller's office," Hanson said. "We're happy to help you find that property, help explain how to file a claim, and we will never charge a fee. One hundred percent of your property will go back to you."