I have a serious problem with being forgetful. I think that my girlfriend will, in fact, kill me someday due to me forgetting something big. If I didn’t have a routine about where I put things down, I would be completely lost in the world. But I digress: The other day I had just gotten done working out at the gym so I stopped at a gas station on the way home to pick up some of that wonderful almost-$4-Gallon goodness. I always swipe my card, put it in my wallet, and put my wallet back in my pocket. You know, pretty much what everyone does every time they buy something. Well, this time I didn’t have pockets because of my shorts. So I pumped gas, hopped in my car, and off I went, wallet still on top.

I didn’t realize my wallet was gone until the next day. If you have ever lost your wallet and been late for work, Im sure you can envision the next hour or so.

We’ve all heard nasty stories about fraud thats committed in your name using your credit cards, or SSN. My Aunt had her identity stolen from losing her purse and it was an absolute nightmare and included her being (wrongly) arrested on the highway and laying face down in cuffs in front of her daughter for quite a while….not to mention she is still trying to sort out all the financial ramifications. It reminds me of those commercials, well, they are funny, Ill just post one.

What should you do if you lose your Wallet or Purse?

The absolute first thing to do if you think you have lost it in a public place is to make a quick call to the businesses to see if it has been found. If not, immediately call your credit card/debit card companies and cancel your cards. If it has been stolen, every second counts because thieves will do as much damage as possible as fast as possible. Its good to have the toll free numbers available.

Next, check all bank account balances and credit card records for unauthorized purchases. If there is activity file a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen…this is mostly to show credit card companies you did your due diligence which will be important in getting reimbursed. Next call the three nation credit reporting organizations to place a fraud alert on your name and social security number. This is good because it means the banks will call you before any accounts or credit cards can be put under your name.

So what happened to my Wallet?

I was lucky, and someone turned it in later that day with everything intact. Its an inconvenience to have all of my usual methods of paying for things canceled, but its a small price to pay considering what could have happened if it had been found by someone less honest.

On a side note, I never realized until now just how FEW places take checks anymore…

If you liked this you might also like Identity Theft Repair Kit from Spend on Life.

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