If you receive a check in the mail from the state, don’t throw it away.

According to Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder’s office, the state started the process of mailing out more than 44,500 checks to residents owed money from unclaimed property dollars this week.

The checks are not tax refunds; the money is collected by the treasury from old checking and savings accounts, payroll checks that were never picked up, dividends from stocks, insurance proceeds, oil royalties, and unclaimed utility deposits. The treasurer’s office does their best to locate people who are owed money and return the funds to them.

The largest of the checks being mailed is $1,500, and the total amount being sent out is $4.2 million.