Losing your wallet can be frustrating, embarrassing and, if it gets into the wrong hands, it would be a threat to your finances and reputation. If you cannot find your lost wallet quickly using effective search strategies, you will need to act quickly to protect both your identity and your belongings to avoid serious complications in the future. Check out this article to regain control of what you have lost.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Search for the Wallet
Step 1. Relax, focus and think
Have you ever gotten angry that you couldn't find the remote or cereal, angry that no one in the house ever puts things back in their place, only to realize that the remote was exactly where it was supposed to be, but you just didn't notice?
- When the loss of an object, especially if it is as important as a wallet, causes us to panic, we lose focus and often overlook obvious clues - or even the object that is right in front of our eyes.
- Take a few deep breaths and try to clear your mind. Try not to think about the consequences of losing your wallet. Just focus on the object, where it should be and where it could be. Then the real research begins.
Step 2. Search again where it should normally be
Your first research was probably influenced by panic and consequently could not be very thorough. Now that you are calmer, take a good look at where your wallet is most likely to be - your trouser pocket hanging from your chair, your nightstand, your desk at work.
Also look around for obvious spots, i.e. on the floor around the nightstand, other desk drawers, other trouser pockets, etc
Step 3. Retrace your steps
Try to remember the last time you had your wallet - you paid for coffee at the bar, got it from the nightstand, etc. - and go back until you reach that moment.
- Search the pockets of all the clothes you wore in that time. Be sure to include coats and bags as well.
- Going through your routine can help refresh your memory, so don't overlook any possibility, even the most remote.
- Consider if someone might have taken your wallet (without malice). A curious child? A friend who wanted to help you? Contact anyone who may have mistakenly taken your wallet.
Step 4. Call the places you have recently visited
Have you been to a restaurant, cinema, office or maybe a friend's house? Call and ask if they found your wallet.
- You may have to describe it. Knowing your ID and credit card numbers should be proof enough to prove it is your wallet, but if you can describe a family photo or gym card you will dispel all doubts.
- Don't assume a local is calling you if they find your wallet. They may find it and place it in the lost and found, or they may follow the no-call policy for privacy reasons - they may not want to disclose your whereabouts without your permission.
Step 5. Look carefully for places where it shouldn't normally be
Expand the search range farther away from the places where the wallet would normally be - the whole room, the whole second floor, the whole house.
- Choose the high-traffic areas of your home or workplace where you would not usually put your wallet, but which you have visited - the kitchen, bathroom, etc.
- Search for rooms methodically with a grid search (divide the room into small areas and check them one at a time), or spiral (search around the perimeter and gradually work towards the center).
- For more ideas, do some research on the internet or wikiHow.
Step 6. Assume your wallet has been stolen if you can't find it in a day or two
Do not make phone calls until you have searched well, as it would be very frustrating to go through the whole process of deleting the cards and reporting the loss, only to find the wallet in the jeans pocket immediately afterwards. That said, it's always better to be safe than sorry if you can't find your wallet fast enough.
- Your liability for purchases made with a stolen debit card begins after 48 hours, and other cards you have lost may also only grant refunds within certain deadlines. While you won't be responsible for credit card purchases, it will be much easier to stop fraudulent purchases before they happen than to have to think about them later.
- Start notifying those responsible for the loss of your wallet, as indicated in the relevant section of the article.
Part 2 of 3: Protecting Identity and Finances
Step 1. Call your bank and report the loss of your debit cards
The laws governing debit and credit cards are different, so you should make this call first, within 48 hours of losing your wallet, to protect yourself from fraudulent purchases.
- If you notify the financial institutions within 48 hours, the maximum amount that you will be charged will be € 50; within 60 days, it will be € 500; after this time, you will have to pay for all purchases made with your card out of your own pocket. Of course, be sure to check the contract with your bank, as the regulations may differ.
- Your debit card is linked to your checking account and it may be linked to others, so you will not only receive a new debit card, but a new account number as well. You'll also need a new checkbook.
- Consider any RIDs you may have on your debit card or checking account (phone bill, life insurance premium, etc.). You will need to update the payment information for these services when you have the new account number.
- Of course, this process is very annoying, but it will always be better than seeing your bank account drained and then jumping through hoops to get the money back.
Step 2. Report Lost Credit Cards
You won't need to delete them, because otherwise you would have to request them again from scratch. If you report loss or theft, you will receive a new card with a different number without losing your customer status.
- The maximum liability for fraudulent credit card purchases is € 50, and € 0 if you contact the company before the card is misused. However, it will be much easier to prevent illicit purchases before they happen than to have them canceled later.
- Save the customer service number of the company that issued your credit card (and your bank) to your phone so you can contact them quickly.
- Don't forget the credit cards provided by the shops as well.
Step 3. Report the loss or theft of your wallet to the Carabinieri
Finding your wallet won't be their priority, but reporting it is an important step in your protection.
- The report creates an official document of the loss and your recovery attempt. This can be very useful for getting insurance compensation, for solving fraud liability issues, for identity theft issues and other possible accidents.
- Report the facts in the most precise and detailed way possible, giving specific information about places and times. Keep a copy of the report.
Step 4. If you live in the United States, in addition to all the precautions indicated so far, it is also advisable to contact one of the main credit bureaus
Just go to any of these agencies (such as Transunion, Equifax and Experian), because they share their customers' credit information with each other. In any case, it could be useful to notify each of them of the loss of the wallet.
- After the complaint, any attempt to increase the platfond available to you will require an additional verification by the agency.
- It is always worth reporting the disappearance of your wallet to avoid ruining your credit position.
- There are paid anti-fraud options, often offered in conjunction with your credit card, which allow you to be contacted immediately in the event of suspicious activity.
Step 5. Replace your ID documents
Nobody likes to visit the DMV, but you can't expect the police to believe your lost wallet (complete with driver's license) story when you are stopped.
- Each country has its own policies and procedures for replacing a lost driver's license, but you will likely need to show up in person at the relevant offices and pay a replacement fee.
- You will also need to replace all other identity documents.
Step 6. Make a list of everything that was in the wallet
Try to remember as much as possible and find out if you need to report the loss or replace something else.
- Don't forget the discount cards from shops or even libraries. They may seem unimportant when compared to credit cards, but they may allow access to personal information that should remain private.
- In practice, you will have to start from scratch, to make the contents of your wallet as useless as possible, both in financial terms and in terms of identity.
Part 3 of 3: Replace the Wallet
Step 1. Prepare for this eventuality in the future
You may think that the chances of losing your wallet a second time are low, but without a doubt it's better to be safe than sorry.
- Copy or scan all credit cards and ID documents. Keep copies in a separate, secure, yet easy-to-access location, such as a lockable drawer or password-protected cloud storage site.
- When traveling, especially abroad, take copies with you, but keep them separate from the originals.
- Do not carry your health card with you and do not write its number or the ATM pin on a piece of paper that you keep in your wallet. If you need to keep this information with you, develop a code that you can easily interpret but that a thief could not do as well. For example, add the 4-digit ATM pin to the last 4 digits of your phone number from when you were a child (2642 + 4307 = 6949).
- For more ideas, read the "Tips" section at the end of the article.
Step 2. Choose a new wallet
Prefer trendy functionality. Choose a slim wallet so that it is harder to see in your pocket, that it can be closed with a snap, zip or velcro, and that is made of a non-slip material to prevent it from slipping out of your pocket when you get out of the car.
You may think that the nylon wallet with velcro closure you had as a child is not elegant, but it would be more difficult to lose it
Step 3. Put your wallet in a safe place
The best place is the front pocket of your pants, which is why a thin wallet that doesn't slip is better. Only an exceptional thief would be able to steal a wallet from your front pocket without you noticing.
- So if you choose a wallet that fits in your front pocket and doesn't slip out when you get up or sit down, you should be protected from loss or theft.
- To be really safe, and to make all your colleagues in the office the envy, you can secure your wallet with a chain.
Step 4. Lighten the load
Your old wallet could probably be cleaned up, to remove old cards and points collection cards, so consider that the only bright side of losing your wallet.
- Carry only what you know you will need, not what you think you might need. Do you have to carry all your credit cards with you, or will two (one main and one spare) be enough?
- You may find yourself not having something that you may have carried with you in the past, but thanks to this advice if you lose your wallet again you will have to go through a lot less trouble.
Advice
- Don't keep all your cash in your wallet. Use a banknote clamp to put some there, or leave some at home in a safe place and bring only the amount of money you will need. This way, you reduce the amount of money you can lose by losing your wallet.
- From time to time throughout the day, make sure you still have your wallet. It's a matter of a second, and increases the chances of finding your wallet when you lose it. Make it a habit to check regularly: every time you get up, while walking, etc. A quick check on your back pocket or purse won't hurt.
- If you put your wallet in your back pocket, make sure it doesn't stick out. Your wallet will most likely stay in your pocket if it's not too thick and if your pocket is tight enough.
- Store your cards separately in a card binder. If you lose your wallet you will still be able to use the cards and if you lose the cards you will still have cash.
- If you always keep your wallet in your back pocket, try to wear trousers with a button that closes the pockets.
- Don't keep your wallet in your back pocket when traveling, or in crowded places, unless it's secured by a chain. This precaution almost eliminates the chances of someone taking away the wallet. Or, put it in your front pocket, in a backpack, or use a fanny pack.
- Write your phone number and a small message on a piece of paper and place it prominently in your wallet. You may lose some money but your documents and papers will be returned to you.
- Make sure you've written down your account numbers and all important data in a safe place. In case you lose your wallet, these numbers will be of great importance. Police officers may gladly accept your driver's license number if you have lost your wallet.
- Try looking for the wallet in the dryer.
