What to Know
- Passengers left behind more than $926,000 at Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints at airports across the country during fiscal year 2019, with a chunk of that money coming from a New York area airport.
- According to the TSA, John F. Kennedy International Airport tops the list with $98,110 left behind at checkpoints.
- The money consisted of loose change and paper currency that passengers removed from their pockets and left behind in bins during the security screening process at TSA checkpoints.
Passengers left behind more than $926,000 at Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints at airports across the country during fiscal year 2019, with a chunk of that money coming from a New York area airport.
According to the TSA, John F. Kennedy International Airport tops the list with $98,110 left behind at checkpoints.
In total, the TSA collected $926,030.44 in unclaimed money that passengers left behind at airport security checkpoints during Fiscal Year 2019, including $18,899.09 in foreign currency.
The top five airports where passengers have left the most money behind were:
- John F. Kennedy International Airport - $98,110
- San Francisco International Airport - $52,668.70
- Miami International Airport - $47,694.03
- McCarran International Airport - $44,401.76
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport - $40,218.19
The money consisted of loose change and paper currency that passengers removed from their pockets and left behind in bins during the security screening process at TSA checkpoints. The amount found during Fiscal Year 2019, which ended Sept. 30, 2019, was lower than the amount of unclaimed money collected the year prior when $960,105.49 was left behind.
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When passengers approach the checkpoint, all items from pockets must be removed, including wallets and loose change. Because of this, TSA recommends that travelers place those items directly into their carry-on bags so that they will not accidentally be left behind.
According to the TSA, if someone returns to the checkpoint shortly after to claim an item that they left behind, it is returned to them. However, if a passenger leaves an item behind, such as a wallet, and does not realize it until after they board their flight, they can contact any of TSA’s lost and found offices at airports across the country to identify the lost item.
For a complete list, visit the report “Unclaimed Money at Airports in Fiscal Year 2019.”
