If you’ve never lost your wallet – or worse, had it stolen – then count yourself lucky. Discovering that your wallet or purse has gone missing can spark panic among even the calmest people. After all, your wallet likely holds a treasure trove of cash, debit cards, credit cards, personal identification, health insurance cards and more than a few loyalty cards.
“When we see customers who have lost their wallets or purses, it’s easy to understand their concern. They don’t know who has access to their personal information and potentially their money,” says Tracey Markovich, a branch manager at PNC Bank.
It can be hard to pause and focus on what steps to take to protect yourself when you feel as if you’ve just lost everything you need.
If you’ve lost your wallet, take the following steps, keeping a list of dates and names of individuals with whom you have spoken:
Once you’ve replaced what you can, it’s time to prepare in case you lose your wallet again. Clean it out periodically and replace only what you absolutely need to carry on a daily basis. Then, make a list of everything you carry, along with phone numbers for each company, and keep the list in a safe place. That way, if you lose your wallet again, you know whom to call.
Lost vs. Stolen
Whether your wallet was lost or stolen, you still want to follow the same steps listed here. Remember, a lost wallet could always be found by a less-than-honest passerby.
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