LAUREL SPRINGS, N.J. (WPVI) — A South Jersey family says their 7-year-old son’s savings account inexplicably vanished, leaving them scrambling for answers until the money ultimately resurfaced in New Jersey’s unclaimed property system.
Sarah Dimarco said she has been stuck in what she called “paperwork purgatory” after discovering her son Finn’s account balance had dropped to just $1.79.
“I still don’t have a solution because the bank is still like, ‘Well, it’s out of our hands,'” she said.
The issue began in April, when Finn opened his Fulton Bank statement and saw the missing funds.
“He was like, ‘Mommy, it says I don’t have any money.’ And I’m like, ha ha… you know, let me see, but he was telling the truth,” Dimarco said.
Finn originally banked with Republic Bank, which shut down and transferred accounts to Fulton Bank.
The family received a letter in late 2025 instructing them to confirm ownership of the account by October 27, 2025, through actions such as making a deposit or withdrawal, executing a new signature card, providing a change of address form, or writing to Fulton Bank.
Dimarco said she visited a branch twice before the deadline and sent a letter.
“They said, ‘No, you’re in good standing. All good.’ That was not true,” she said.
Despite Finn having a Fulton checkbook and statements, the bank told the family the account had been turned over to the New Jersey Unclaimed Property Administration.
A search of the state database initially showed nothing under Finn’s name.
“They’ve given zero answers,” Dimarco said.
Fulton Bank later issued a statement saying, “We took extensive steps to help customers confirm ownership of their Republic Bank deposit accounts. While most customers successfully claimed their refunds, a small number of accounts – despite our outreach – were transferred to the FDIC and, after, to state unclaimed properties as required.”
New Jersey holds roughly $7 billion in unclaimed property, while Pennsylvania holds about $5 billion. State databases allow residents to search for unclaimed funds.
A day after the Investigative Team contacted Fulton Bank in April about Finn’s account, his money appeared on the New Jersey unclaimed property website.
Last week, Finn finally received his savings.
When asked whether Fulton Bank mishandled the situation, Dimarco said, “Absolutely. Absolutely.”
Residents can search state databases to see whether they are owed money, including New Jersey’s unclaimed property site, Pennsylvania’s database, or Delaware’s system.
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