The Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office will make automated robocalls to the home telephone numbers of Nebraskans and former Nebraskans who own unclaimed property, beginning Sept. 21, State Treasurer Don Stenberg said today.
Stenberg said the prerecorded messages will include information about how owners of unclaimed property can go about filing claims through the State Treasurer’s Office. The calls will be made during normal business hours Monday through Friday.
“The use of robocalls is one approach we use to locate owners of unclaimed property and let them know how to file a claim. Robocalls allow us to reach a large number of people at one time and to put people in direct contact with our claims representatives. From our experience two years ago, we know that robocalls are an effective way to locate unclaimed property owners and to help them file claims,” Stenberg said.
The Treasurer’s Office reached more than 28,000 unclaimed property owners in 2013, the last time robocalls were used by the office. Claims totaling more than $1.4 million were initiated as a result of the outreach effort.
“Robocalls add another dimension to our outreach,” Stenberg said. “The Treasurer’s Office typically uses letters, outreach events, news releases, social media, and advertising to promote the unclaimed property program and to help Nebraskans file claims. Through our outreach efforts, we also have the opportunity to assure Nebraskans that our service is legitimate and free of charge.”
The robocall message instructs listeners to check the Treasurer’s website to search for their names on their own or to contact the Unclaimed Property Division by phone at 402-471-8497 or 877-572-9688 toll free. Listeners also can remain on the line to be connected to an Unclaimed Property specialist. A voice mail message will be left if the owner doesn’t answer the phone. Treasurer Stenberg’s voice is used in the calls.
The Treasurer’s Office is holding more than $135 million in unclaimed property for more than 350,000 Nebraskans, former Nebraskans, and heirs. So far in 2015, almost $6 million has been returned to owners, representing more than 10,600 claims. Nebraskans can search for unclaimed property anytime at treasurer.nebraska.gov.
