Unclaimed Money in Colorado: See If You’re On the List

There's a website Coloradans can visit to search and claim unpaid funds. Does this website actually work? As a matter of fact, it does, and here's how.

By now, you've heard the PSA's a hundred times. You've been directed to visit the "Colorado Payback." According to the official website, "The Colorado Payback is responsible for reuniting Coloradans with their lost or forgotten assets." How effective is it, and what does one have to do to make it work for them?

Get our free mobile app

What is the "Colorado Payback"?

According to the Unclaimed Property Homepage, "Money or property turned over to the State Treasury for safekeeping always belongs to the owner or heir of the account, and there are no time limits for filing your claim. The Colorado State Treasurer currently maintains a list of over 16.5 million names of individuals as well as businesses for whom property is available."

How Do I Know It Works?

Simple. I put it to the test. Before handing over valuable and private info like my name and Social Security Number, I did a little digging to verify this service was legitimate and safe.

• All evidence suggested the site was perfectly safe. Upon visiting the site, you can download and fill out a short form.
• After providing the essentials, specifically name, address, etc., you'll be asked to provide scans of:
• driver's license
• social security card
• a bill or some evidence proving you live at your current Colorado address

What Happens Next?

In my case, the website acknowledged receipt of my form and information. Fast forward about three weeks and voila! A crisp, shiny check arrived via snail mail, direct to my Grand Junction mailbox.

What Did the Check Include?

The funds sent to me came from sources I knew absolutely nothing about. In other words, this was money owed to me, which I had no previous knowledge of.

Funds included past pay from a previous employer from over 14 years ago. Other funds included a handful of miscellaneous payments, some well under ten dollars.

Read More: How Grand Junction's New Recycling Program Works For Residents

Is it Worth the Time and Effort?

In my opinion, YES!!!!, in every way. These are your dollars, stuck in a black hole somewhere in the deep depths of cyberspace.

It's always a bit nerve-racking handing over your Social Security Number, or even more disconcerting, scans of your Social Security card. In this case, the effort is valid.

You May Have Money Waiting

What do you have to lose? You can do a search to determine if you have funds waiting without handing over your private info. That step comes later. Take a moment to visit "The Great Colorado Payback."