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TSA collects $765,000 in forgotten change

Posted at 4:32 PM, Apr 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-28 20:00:49-04

It's something that could happen to anyone: you're rushing through the airport, get through security, and forget to pick up your loose change.

It turns out, those forgotten coins really add up!

The Transportation Security Administration says it collected more than $760,000 that was left behind at airports across the country last year.

What's more, the amount of left-behind cash has increased by nearly a quarter of a million dollars since 2012.

Four years ago, agents collected more than $530,000 in money forgotten by travelers. In 2015, that number had increased to more than $765,000.

Congress allows the TSA to use the unclaimed funds to pay for security operations at checkpoints.

By The Numbers

Unclaimed money collected by TSA, per year
2012 - - - $531,395.22
2013 - - - $638,142.64
2014 - - - $674,841.06
2015 - - - $765,759.15