Residents in North Central Indiana have millions of dollars that’s been forgotten – $25,591,611 to be exact. In Kosciusko County alone, $2,372,590 is listed in the Unclaimed Property Database.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller stopped by Ivy Tech Community College in Elkhart County today to talk about the state’s unclaimed property program and show people how to search for and claim what is rightfully theirs.

“Reuniting Hoosiers with their money is one of the best parts of my job. With more than $350 million total unclaimed property, and more than $25 million in the North Central area alone, it is part of my role to inform Hoosiers how to find and claim their money. Times are still tight for a lot of people and I want everyone to know how easy it is to search for money that you may never knew existed in the form of accounts or wages,” Zoeller said.

Making a claim with the Attorney General’s Unclaimed Property Division is free and easy. Zoeller encourages all Hoosiers to visit Indiana Unclaimed to search for their name, their relatives, neighbors and friends’ names.

The Indiana Unclaimed Property database is also now mobile. Anyone can search for free through the mobile application — just use keyword Indiana Unclaimed to download. The app makes it easy to look for unclaimed property. Business owners and charitable organizations should also check annually for unclaimed property.

Unclaimed property includes investment earnings, insurance proceeds and benefits, wages, and money from savings and checking accounts. Less than one percent of unclaimed assets are tangible, physical items, such as those found in safe-deposit boxes. It is important to note that unclaimed property does not include abandoned vehicles or real estate.

In 2012, close to 15,000 new properties valued at more than $2 million dollars were reported and originate from the eight county North Central Indiana region. This money belongs to residents or former residents of the area or their heirs. The state holds these assets for 25 years after they are reported.

In total, the state’s unclaimed property database holds more than $350 million in assets. In 2012, the attorney general’s office returned more than 80,000 properties totaling more than $44.8 million in unclaimed property. Last year, more than $3 million was returned to individuals with last known addresses in North Central Indiana.

Every year, the attorney general is required to advertise the list of unclaimed property turned over to the state during the previous year. The announcements run twice in a two week period in the newspaper closest to the last known address of the property owner.

The Unclaimed Property database can be searched 24-hours a day, 7 days a week at www.IndianaUnclaimed.gov.

The Unclaimed Property Division’s toll-free number is 1-866-IN-CLAIM (1-866-462-5246). This is a free service of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.