State Treasurer Fitzgerald Announces 12 Days of Christmas Social Media Campaign

DES MOINES, IA (12/10/2020) (readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald is on a mission to deliver some holiday cheer to Iowans in the form of cash through the 2020 12 Days of Christmas social media campaign. Over $420 million in unclaimed property is waiting to be claimed by Iowans in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt. "During the holidays, everyone can use a little extra money," Fitzgerald said. "Especially now with so many Iowans dealing with the impact of a global pandemic. An unexpected check from the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt during the holiday season may help make things a little brighter this year."

In recognition of the popular Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, the Treasurer's official social media Facebook and Twitter, @IowaTreasurer, will use the hashtag #12DaysofTreasureHunting to commemorate the campaign. Starting on Sunday, December 13 and running for 12 consecutive days, the State Treasurer's Office will highlight names, businesses and organizations from around the state with unclaimed property held in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt. "Our goal is to return as much of the unclaimed money back to the rightful owners," added Fitzgerald. "It's an easy process and Iowans could see a quick turnaround."

Created by Fitzgerald, the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program returns unclaimed property to the rightful owner or their heirs. Unclaimed property refers to property or accounts within financial institutions or companies in which there typically has been no activity for several years and the business cannot locate the owner. In Iowa, the assets are safeguarded in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include forgotten savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, unpaid life insurance benefits, utility security deposits and safe deposit box contents. The program has returned over $291 million in unclaimed property since Fitzgerald created it in 1983.

Visit GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov to begin your search and make your claim today. Keep up with all of Treasurer Fitzgerald's programs on Facebook and Twitter.

###