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What to Do When You Lose Your Wallet

Please refer to our transcription below if it is easier and/or more convenient for you:

There are things you can do to keep yourself safe when you lose your wallet.

Please refer to our transcription below if it is easier and/or more convenient for you:

It’s an inevitability. For one reason or another your wallet goes missing. One study found that only about half of all lost wallets are returned. But there are things you can do to keep yourself safe.

First, take an inventory of everything that was in your wallet. Then call the police and notify them of the loss or theft, making sure you get a police report.

Call any issuers of credit or debit cards to report the cards lost or stolen. Typically the issuers will cancel the old card numbers and issue new numbers.

Submit a fraud alert with the 3 main credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, so you are contacted when any new account is opened in your name. Consider periodically reviewing your credit reports for any irregularities.

Report your lost or stolen driver’s license with your local DMV, your Social Security Card to the Social Security Administration, and any membership cards or insurance cards so you can get replacements.

Following these few steps will create a paper trail after your wallet goes missing, ensuring a simple loss doesn’t turn into something bigger.