If you are ever in the situation where you reach for your back pocket, and you suddenly get that rush of panic set over you - and you frantically check all your other pockets with the realisation that they are empty, don’t fret.
More often than not, people tend to return lost wallets. But in the meantime, here are some steps you can take yourself to find it yourself.
10 STEPS TO FINDING YOUR LOST WALLET
- TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS
We know our wallets contain private information, as well as your hard earned cash but studies show that people are likely to return a lost wallet to its rightful owner. Take a moment to calm yourself as stress can make it harder for you to trace your steps.
- RECALL THE LAST PLACE YOU HAD YOUR WALLET
Work your way backwards, starting with the last place you had your wallet. It is most likely there, so there is no use in trying to recall every place you had it prior to that time.
- MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU DID AFTER LOSING YOUR WALLET
It helps to give yourself a few minutes to sit and write down everything you did and everywhere you went—preferably in chronological order.
- CALL THE BUSINESSES YOU VISITED
The staff at the last location you were at may have found your wallet, but not have had the time to call you just yet. Give them a call to check in and see if they found it.
- RETRACE YOUR STEPS IN ORDER
If none of the businesses you visited found your wallet, use your list to retrace your steps, starting with the last thing you did. You may have dropped it in a public place, or fallen down inside your car.
- CANCEL YOUR CREDIT CARDS
Having to apply for new credit cards and re-activating your subscriptions can be a hassle. However, it is much better than having someone steal your information and use your cards to make purchases. Make this one of the first things you do.
- GO TO THE POLICE STATION
If someone found your wallet in public, it's possible that they could have left it at a local police station.
- KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR A FACEBOOK MESSAGE
It's possible someone may find you on Facebook through your Government ID or Drivers Licence. Check your message requests to see if there are any messages waiting for approval. While our initial reactions to private messages from strangers is to ignore it, keep an open mind and remind yourself that this could be the stranger who found your wallet.
- GRADUALLY REPLACE EVERYTHING IN YOUR WALLET
If you had no luck in the days after your losing your wallet, it's time to move on, and hopefully it may turn up in time. For now, you should focus on getting replacements for all your important cards and IDs so you can move on with life.
- UPGRADE YOUR WALLET
Now you are replacing your lost cards, cash etc. you need somewhere to carry them securely. We recommend to use a slim RFID wallet which can easily fit in your front pocket. This helps prevent theft from pickpockets, as well as skimming from RFID devices. You can check out our full collection of RFID wallets here.