What To Do When You Find a Wallet

Every prepper has their own plans for what they’ll do when the shit hits the fan. For some, it’s a bug-out bag with supplies to last them months. Others will turn off power grids or cut phone lines before leaving on foot as soon as possible. The wilderness is no walk in the park, so prepare your water and food supply beforehand if you don’t want to find yourself walking around lost for days trying to find each other!

When you find a wallet, the best thing to do is to mail it back. The person who lost the wallet will have no idea that it has been found and they can use the money in their new wallet.

I was out doing errands the other day and dropped by a coffee shop on my way home for a cup of java. I observed a huge fat wallet laying on the ground just off the curb as I went out the door and to my vehicle. I picked it up, took a quick glance about to check if somebody had dropped it nearby (there wasn’t), and then contemplated what to do next.

Should I take it to a neighboring store? There were a lot of them about, so it may have been dropped by one of their customers, and could I really trust another random person with my wallet? Should I go through it in search of the owner’s contact information? Should I take it to a police station and return it?

Because I had so many questions, I ended up talking to a few other people about what they’d done in a similar circumstance, as well as calling my local Arvada, CO police station for help.

While I finally tracked down the owner of the wallet (more on that later), I reasoned that if I was stumped, so are others. So, below, I’ll provide some simple recommendations on what I’ve learnt you should do if you discover someone else’s wallet (or other valuables) and wish to return them as a decent citizen.

NEITHER RETURN THE ITEM TO A LOCAL BUSINESS NOR RETURN THE ITEM TO A LOCAL BUSINESS.

When I contacted with the Arvada city PIO (Public Information Officer), she was certain about this. When they come upon anything valuable, many people return it to the closest company, even if they are outside of a commercial area (or even within a business). The intention is good; the finder expects the individual to return and inquire around for misplaced belongings. The issue is that you’re essentially handing up your stuff to another stranger. Just because someone is dressed in a uniform and working behind a counter does not indicate they are trustworthy.

If you need to, go to an employee and leave your name and phone number, along with a message stating that you have the item and can be reached for its safe return.

Make an effort to locate their contact information.

When I discovered the aforementioned wallet on the ground, this was my initial thought. I rummaged through pieces of paper and business cards until I came across one with a name that matched the driver’s license. I felt odd rummaging through someone’s personal belongings, but I figured the owner wouldn’t mind after he had his wallet back (I guessed right, I learned when I found him).

So I called the number on the business card and informed the guy that I had discovered his wallet, and he almost sobbed with joy. We set up a pick-up place a few minutes away from my house and took care of the problem. The guy was so overjoyed that he offered to fill up my petrol tank and demanded my address so that he could send me a card.

Another alternative is to drop it off at the person’s workplace, particularly if you discover a business card. That is unquestionably a more reliable alternative than entrusting it to a random local firm.

Personal contact information monitoring is a bit more detailed and personal than the other ways I’ll discuss; you’ll have to pick what you have time for and what you’re comfortable with. Finally, at a petrol station, I encountered a weird guy. I was OK with it, but others may not be, and that’s fine.

This strategy also runs the danger of the individual accusing you of stealing anything, particularly if it was stolen before you discovered it. You shouldn’t feel bad about exploring the various possibilities presented here.

Should I send it via mail?

A driver’s license with a plainly displayed address is found in almost everyone’s wallet. You could just put it in the mail and have it returned to the individual without ever having to meet. If you don’t want to pay that fee, you may drop off wallets (but not other valuables) at the post office and they’ll take care of it for free.

While it is a viable alternative, I would not advocate it since it might delay the recovery of the wallet by many days. If I hadn’t heard anything regarding the location of a billfold, I’d be canceling cards and working on replacing products that night if I hadn’t heard anything. While I’d be delighted to see it again a few days later, I’d have already begun the process of replacing the contents.

Mail is just not as secure a delivery option as the others. It might be sitting in a mailbox for a few days or even overnight if someone is gone.

That’s my two cents; it’s a great alternative if none of the others work out.

Look for them on the internet.

A fast Google search, or even better, a Facebook search, might lead to the discovery of someone who has misplaced their belongings. You may plan a pick-up place or make other arrangements if you discover the individual and are able to converse satisfactorily via Facebook or email.

You may also use local Facebook groups if the individual has a common name or if your search yields no useful results. While the city of Arvada has a few Craigslist-style groups for residents, every now and then you’ll see someone post that they’ve discovered something important and are looking for its owner, and more often than not, it seems that a buddy of a friend joins in with a remark, and the item(s) is returned.

This is a more personal approach, as mentioned above, and you may not feel comfortable with it.

Their bank or credit card company should be contacted.

Another possibility is to call one of their financial firms based on any cards you discover, especially if you locate a wallet. If you return the wallet to a bank branch that accepts one of their cards, the individual will be contacted and may come pick it up. On both fronts, this is a secure option: their possessions are safe at a bank, and you are safe since you aren’t meeting a stranger anywhere.

It should be returned to the nearest police station.

Returning the wallet to a local police station may be the best line of action without having to go through the person’s wallet. It will be stored secured in an evidence room, and the police will make every attempt to locate the individual, including looking up any records and even utilizing social media. If they can’t discover the owner by any means after a specific length of time – in my instance, 90 days — the item is destroyed.

This method is very useful if you come across assets with no identifying information. The PIO I talked with stated they often get returned goods, including jewelry, phones, and even picture albums. Whatever worthwhile you uncover, the local police department can handle it, and your personal work is negligible.

What is the best course of action for you?

If you locate a wallet or valuables, the solutions described above are all viable choices. Is there, nevertheless, an optimum option? Is there one that should be sought above all others?

As previously said, do not return it to a local company. Also, for the reasons stated above, do not send it in the mail as your initial act.

Beyond that, it’s a matter of what you’re comfortable with and, honestly, how much time you have. Looking for the individual’s contact information and attempting to return it in person may be rather fulfilling if you’re flexible and don’t mind meeting strangers. It’s also usually the quickest way to get the wallet back into their hands, which the owner will appreciate. You may also get some form of award, which, although not the goal, is nonetheless wonderful!

Returning the wallet to a bank or police station is absolutely safe and respectable if you can’t discover contact information, are short on time, or just aren’t comfortable with a face-to-face encounter. There’s a strong chance the proper individual will be found.

Whatever strategy you select, make an effort! Don’t simply leave anything expensive on the ground — whether it’s a wallet or a piece of jewelry — for someone else to deal with. Do the right thing and pick it up, then make a good-faith attempt to return it. You know that if you lost anything, you’d expect that someone would do the same for you.

And now you’ll know just what to do if you come across a lovely large wallet on the ground looking up at you.

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When you find a wallet, it is important to return the wallet as soon as possible. However, if someone has found your wallet and they are not willing to give it back, there are some things that you can do. Reference: how to return a lost wallet.