The New York Comptroller’s Office has billions of dollars of unclaimed funds and is searching for their owners.
The comptroller’s office reported that as of today it has 15.5 billion in resources that have not been claimed by New Yorkers or returns that people did not know about.
There is also money from class action lawsuits that were not collected.
Of that total, only 143.5 million dollars have been returned this year.
There are more than 24 million people registered on the list of unclaimed funds.
According to data from the comptroller’s office, 606,600 accounts belong to residents of the Bronx and 1,330,357 belong to New Yorkers living in Queens.
Thousands of them are from Hispanic people.
If it doesn’t appear, try your middle or last name.
If you appear on the list, you can start the claim process on the same site by following the instructions that appear after clicking on your name.
It may interest you:
1/14
NEW YORK. Every year, thousands of immigrants lose millions of dollars at the hands of unscrupulous people who promise to fix their immigration status, leaving them with no money, and no solution to their immigration process. Before placing your trust, and even your immigration future in someone, learn about the most used scams in these procedures.
Credit: RainStar/Getty Images
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
2/14
According to the Federal Trade Commission of the United States, immigrants must exercise care when choosing who or how they will process their immigration papers. And give warning about these frauds…
Credit: Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
3/14
False lawyers Before entrusting your papers to a ‘specialist’, it is better that you verify that it is not a processor or a notary. In the US, notaries and notaries public are not lawyers. They cannot help you with immigration. They will say that they can help you and ask you to pay them. But they can’t help you.
Credit: CUNY
Click here to continue with the gallery
4/14
Sometimes people posing as lawyers just charge you money and don’t get the results you need, wasting valuable time. Make sure you are dealing with a state registered attorney. For that you can call 311, or visit these sites, where you can confirm it: NY Court System or AILA.ORG
Credit: Boy_Anupong/Getty Images
5/14
Fake Immigration Officials You may receive a phone call, email or regular mail from an immigration ‘official’ or ‘office’ that seems legitimate. They could ask you for sensitive information such as your passport number, credit cards or bank information… to ‘help’ you with your immigration process.
Credit: Univision
6/14
This information is then used to steal identities, establish new credit cards, and access victims’ bank accounts. Never give out that kind of information over the phone.
Credit: Univision
Click here to continue with the gallery
7/14
Visa Lottery Scams One way to get a Green Card is through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, popularly known as the “visa lottery”. Registration is free and winners are selected at random.
Credit: Courtesy
8/14
Many scammers try to trick people into charging them money to enter the visa lottery, promising special access or more chances to win the lottery. But it’s just a robbery.
Credit: Courtesy
9/14
Refugee Scams Although refugees have a different legal status than immigrants, they are often victims of scams. For example, scammers tell you that you are eligible for a special government subsidy.
Credit: Getty Images
Click here to continue with the gallery
10/14
But, to access said benefit, they must first pay a fee. Another way these scammers operate is by claiming to work for the IRS and asking for the bank account number to deposit the grant money. But the special subsidy does not exist.
Credit: Courtesy
JONATHAN BRADY/AFP via Getty Images
11/14
Fraudulent marriages Some people offer to marry immigrants in exchange for a certain amount of money and thus ‘fix their papers’, in exchange for money. But, after collecting the agreed amount, they do not fix anything.
Credit: JONATHAN BRADY/AFP via Getty Images
12/14
But there is something else: In the US, fraudulent marriages are a serious crime that carries criminal consequences and penalties for both parties involved in the marriage.
Credit: Univision Archive
Click here to continue with the gallery
Adam Berry / Getty Images
13/14
Employment Agency Scam Employment agency scams involve companies that charge a fee to secure employment for individuals and often also promise them green cards or other immigration sponsorships. Immigrants will pay the fee but get nothing in return.
Credit: Adam Berry / Getty Images
14/14
If you have been the victim of immigration fraud, you can report it by calling the Attorney General’s Office led by Letitia James. Tel. 1 (800) 771-7755.
