My Wallet was Stolen

[mike carey]

Ok, the circumstances are not particularly relevant, but my wallet and backpack were stolen over the weekend. I recovered some of the stuff (it was dumped in the street) but a heap of stuff is gone.

 

Credit Cards

Easy, I called the companies and they were cancelled. This was my priority. The problem: all my cards were stolen so I didn't have a fall-back. Now I just have to wait for them to send replacements, and they said 3-7 days.

 

Passport

I jumped the gun and cancelled it but in the morning I found my backpack and recovered it. But the cancellation was irrevocable and I'll have to go through more hoops to replace it than would have been needed if it were still valid. Lesson: if something that's stolen won't affect you the way a credit card can, don't cancel it until you're sure it's gone.

 

Airline Cards

I have two airline frequent flyer program cards that double as loadable credit cards. The amount I have on them is limited but I needed to cancel them and that was easy enough.

 

Drivers Licence

I could have requested a replacement on line, but that required a credit card for the fee and I didn't have one. At the office (a 20 minute drive away) it was simple (it's a state government organisation), helpful receptionist assisted me with the right forms and directed me to the counter I needed to visit. Paper licence issued with the photo version to be posted within two weeks.

 

Medicare

Federal bureaucracy this time, helpful receptionist, 15 minute wait and interim national insurance document issued with replacement card within two weeks. (I need that to access any health care providers at the Australian resident rates.)

 

Bank

With no cards and no cash, I was constrained in what I could do. My main bank is a high street bank so there is a branch I could go to, worth thinking about if that's likely to be an issue. I knew my card number (even though it was cancelled) and account number (I have a list of those details, although I knew my Visa card number without the list). With that info, the process of withdrawing the cash I would need until I had replacement cards was easy.

 

Retail Loyalty Cards

I have two, with accrued rewards points. Not urgent, but their on-line sites have adequate replacement mechanisms. I have one other, but I'll be able to fix that next time I shop there.

 

Transit Smart Cards

I have Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne pubic transport cards (and others but they weren't in my wallet, except a NYC card that is now a lost cause). I've cancelled them but I'll be able to easily transfer any credit to a new card.

 

I'm sure I've missed some. This has forced me to think about what I can do to limit the effect of a theft. A couple of points would be to keep any cash completely separate. and to keep a credit card separately as a back-up.

[mike carey]

The point I am making is, that if your world collapses how prepared are you to pick up the pieces and continue. Some parts are relatively easy, some require you to be prepared.

[+ pepa_e_mango]

Terrible that happened. This has never happened to me so I'm not really prepared either but I've often thought that saving copies, both on paper and pdf or image forms, that I can access quickly would mitigate the pain; that way I will at least know whom and where to notify the appropriate persons.

[jjkrkwood]

Well, you've already done the important part of the process by recreating your losses. Now its just a matter of methodical recreation

of the documents. For the future, keeping copies might help, but often Originals are needed, so you might have to contact each institution and get a NEW original ? Some things are easy, but some things require a little more "red" tape to acquire.

 

Sorry for your loss, and good luck in your process.

[+ not2rowdy]

Consider scanning your cards and importing them into an encrypted app on your phone. I use SplashID. They also have a "Keysafe" that looks like key and plugs into computer USB port and is fully encrypted.

[+ StLouisOct]

With the thread title I assumed someone was going to be

complaining about how the world has gone to hell and life isn’t as good as it used to be. Happy that it was full of practical information that has caused me to consider what I would do in a similar circumstance. Many thanks!

[+ Charlie]

Several years ago, my spouse took a trip to NYC alone, and in the hotel room he decided to hide his passport while he was there rather than carry it around with him. But when it was time to leave a few days later, he could not remember where it was hidden. (It was the first serious sign we had that he was developing Alzheimer's.) He traveled to DC to visit his brother, who contacted the State Dept for him; they said he would have to apply for a new passport. So as soon as he got home, he assembled all the documents he needed and sent them off with the substantial fee. The new passport--which he didn't actually need any time in the immediate future--arrived about a week later. That same day, I was about to store his emptied suitcase in the garage, when I accidentally dropped it, and I heard a strange "clunk" inside, so I opened it, and there was the passport: he had hidden it in the lining of the suitcase. Your caveat about not replacing something until you are sure it is truly gone is justified.

[spider]

Your backpack was stolen and YOU found it. Tell us more, I’ve never been so lucky!

[RealAvalon]

Ok, the circumstances are not particularly relevant, but my wallet and backpack were stolen over the weekend. I recovered some of the stuff (it was dumped in the street) but a heap of stuff is gone.

 

Credit Cards

Easy, I called the companies and they were cancelled. This was my priority. The problem: all my cards were stolen so I didn't have a fall-back. Now I just have to wait for them to send replacements, and they said 3-7 days.

 

Passport

I jumped the gun and cancelled it but in the morning I found my backpack and recovered it. But the cancellation was irrevocable and I'll have to go through more hoops to replace it than would have been needed if it were still valid. Lesson: if something that's stolen won't affect you the way a credit card can, don't cancel it until you're sure it's gone.

 

Airline Cards

I have two airline frequent flyer program cards that double as loadable credit cards. The amount I have on them is limited but I needed to cancel them and that was easy enough.

 

Drivers Licence

I could have requested a replacement on line, but that required a credit card for the fee and I didn't have one. At the office (a 20 minute drive away) it was simple (it's a state government organisation), helpful receptionist assisted me with the right forms and directed me to the counter I needed to visit. Paper licence issued with the photo version to be posted within two weeks.

 

Medicare

Federal bureaucracy this time, helpful receptionist, 15 minute wait and interim national insurance document issued with replacement card within two weeks. (I need that to access any health care providers at the Australian resident rates.)

 

Bank

With no cards and no cash, I was constrained in what I could do. My main bank is a high street bank so there is a branch I could go to, worth thinking about if that's likely to be an issue. I knew my card number (even though it was cancelled) and account number (I have a list of those details, although I knew my Visa card number without the list). With that info, the process of withdrawing the cash I would need until I had replacement cards was easy.

 

Retail Loyalty Cards

I have two, with accrued rewards points. Not urgent, but their on-line sites have adequate replacement mechanisms. I have one other, but I'll be able to fix that next time I shop there.

 

Transit Smart Cards

I have Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne pubic transport cards (and others but they weren't in my wallet, except a NYC card that is now a lost cause). I've cancelled them but I'll be able to easily transfer any credit to a new card.

 

I'm sure I've missed some. This has forced me to think about what I can do to limit the effect of a theft. A couple of points would be to keep any cash completely separate. and to keep a credit card separately as a back-up.

I thought I'd lost a credit card a few months back, cancelled it and then found it. The card wasn't the hassle, it was going to all of my automatic payments and updating them all.

 

Lesson I learned, do all the automatic payments on one card that stays at home that isn't going to get lost, and use the main card as I normally would.

 

What about your library card?

[mike carey]

Your backpack was stolen and YOU found it. Tell us more, I’ve never been so lucky!

Yeah, I know! They must have rummaged through it, and dumped it when they didn't find anything of interest. The stuff was taken from my house so I had a starting point from which to look for things, and I just got lucky.

[handiacefailure]

I had my wallet stolen before and while it sucks to be out the cash the biggest pain in the ass is trying to get your credit cards reissued and a new license.

 

Something I did was bought a passport case with a few pockets and I keep my passport, an atm card for a bank account I rarely use, a credit card I rarely use, my global entry card and transit cards I have from a couple cities I visit regularly in it and keep it in a backpack I always travel with. I figure if my wallet gets stolen again and I'm in town I'll have the ATM to withdrawl cash if it occurs when my bank isn't open and will have a credit card for use and can put my GE card in my wallet for ID until I can get my license replaced and if i'm travelling I'll still have a way to access cash and an acceptable ID to fly home on.

 

When travelling I also have a front pocket wallet I use and jsut put the wallet in my hotel safe. I just put some cash, the transit card if I'm in a city that I have a card for and a couple credit card and my wallet in the front pocket wallet. If I lose my wallet then I have backup cash and credit cards as well as my GE card or passport for ID.

[+ bashful]

Sorry you had to go through that. When I was 16 or 17, the restaurant I work at was robbed at gunpoint. We were told to lie on the floor, and the guy said something about wanting everything. I held up my wallet. Being so young, the driver’s license was all I had to replace, but it wasn’t easy. When I went to the facility, they wanted ID. I got mad and said I don’t have any because I was robbed. She helped me out, and got me a new license.

 

Today, I keep cash hidden at home, and take cash when I travel that I lock in the room safe (easier than using safe deposit box at front desk). Have never had a loss. If credit cards are lost, can survive on cash, or room charges until replaced.

 

I always bring a weeks worth of extra meds, but that’s if I decide to detour or have stay longer. I learned that when I had to go out of state when my father had a stroke. Thought I would only be there a week, but ended up being two weeks longer. It pays to have a long standing relationship with your doctor. Called the office, explained what happened, gave them the number of the local pharmacy, had meds next day.

 

I don’t take car key fob when I fly (I cab to airport), but take extra key fob if I drive on a trip. I have couple of ways to get into my condo if house keys are lost.

 

This thread reminded me I need to make a copy of drivers license and passport.

[+ deej]

Sorry you had to go through that. When I was 16 or 17, the restaurant I work at was robbed at gunpoint. We were told to lie on the floor, and the guy said something about wanting everything. I held up my wallet. Being so young, the driver’s license was all I had to replace, but it wasn’t easy. When I went to the facility, they wanted ID. I got mad and said I don’t have any because I was robbed. She helped me out, and got me a new license.

 

Today, I keep cash hidden at home, and take cash when I travel that I lock in the room safe (easier than using safe deposit box at front desk). Have never had a loss. If credit cards are lost, can survive on cash, or room charges until replaced.

 

I always bring a weeks worth of extra meds, but that’s if I decide to detour or have stay longer. I learned that when I had to go out of state when my father had a stroke. Thought I would only be there a week, but ended up being two weeks longer. It pays to have a long standing relationship with your doctor. Called the office, explained what happened, gave them the number of the local pharmacy, had meds next day.

 

I don’t take car key fob when I fly (I cab to airport), but take extra key fob if I drive on a trip. I have couple of ways to get into my condo if house keys are lost.

 

This thread reminded me I need to make a copy of drivers license and passport.

Yep. 40 years ago my wallet was lost/stolen/lifted (you choose) on the DC metro.

 

When I got home, I remembered I'd had a blank check in the wallet so I called the bank and they recommended closing the account. "Just come in and we'll open another" they said, so I did that.

 

When I got there they asked to see ID. I reminded them mine had just been lost. They told me "you can just go up to DMV, it's only a few miles away". I asked how I should pay for it? Writing a check on the account they just closed? It was an entire cycle of "you can't get there from here".

 

These days I do keep a stash of cash, as others have suggested, and I have photocopies of front AND BACK of all cards in my wallet. The front has account numbers, but the back has the important numbers to call in an emergency.

 

It's truly a nightmare.

[mike carey]

This thread reminded me I need to make a copy of drivers license and passport.

I actually have a copy of my passport (it was in my backpack so that could have been a challenge) and had my expired drivers licence. I could have used my car registration papers as ID for a new licence. Second copies stored elsewhere are in order, and of other documents as @deej suggested.

 

Thanks for the thoughtful suggestions and precautions you offered, and thanks to others for their comments. Being caught as I was focusses the mind, but as some have noted hearing of someone else's experiences does so also, if less viscerally.

 

I have the first replacement done, bought a new Canberra public transport card and called their information line and had the old balance transferred to it. I'll get the balance of my Sydney card refunded and tap a credit card in future (exactly the same fares, discounts etc), one card fewer to carry.

[mike carey]

Wow, 1430 on Tuesday and my Amex card was just delivered by DHL courier (it's a premium one, so I guess that's part of what you're paying for). I had notified them in the small hours of Sunday morning.

[RealAvalon]

Wow, 1430 on Tuesday and my Amex card was just delivered by DHL courier (it's a premium one, so I guess that's part of what you're paying for). I had notified them in the small hours of Sunday morning.

At a craft sale years ago I bought a hollowed out book, it sits on my bookshelf with all my important papers hidden within.

[mike carey]

At a craft sale years ago I bought a hollowed out book, it sits on my bookshelf with all my important papers hidden within.

Probably safer than a wall safe, thieves seem likely to steal a safe intact and break into it at their leisure once they've left the scene.

[+ deej]

Wow, 1430 on Tuesday and my Amex card was just delivered by DHL courier (it's a premium one, so I guess that's part of what you're paying for). I had notified them in the small hours of Sunday morning.

A few years ago I needed a replacement card from Citibank. They were more than happy to FedEx it but they were ADAMANT that I needed to be home to sign for it. Repeated it over and over: YOU MUST BE HOME. ADAMANT!

 

So I stayed home for the day.

 

Late in the day I got notice that the card had been delivered but I hadn't heard from anyone, so I looked out back. FedEx had tossed it over the fence and moved on.

 

So much for security!

[RM]

My wallet disappeared in1975 while I was in the Atlanta airport to fly home. That was the first time I'd flown that the airlines required ID. They hadn't required ID on previous trips. It was quite a problem to get ID so I could fly home, but I did make it home to California the same day.

[+ E.T.Bass]

Years ago, My brother lost his wallet while rubber rafting in Wyoming. A fisherman from Utah found it washed up on an island and mailed it back home to the Midwest.

 

I buried my wallet and keys in a plastic bag at San Onofre so I could swim. The markers I used to direct where to dig later failed me. Was nearly dark when I finally found the bag.

[+ azdr0710]

as kids, my brother and I buried a five-dollar bill in a sand trap on some golf course in Palm Springs while our parents visited friends....buried treasure and all that......to be dug up later that day by us.....

 

still there, I presume.........(we really tried to find it.....d'oh!)

[mike carey]

A few years ago I needed a replacement card from Citibank. They were more than happy to FedEx it but they were ADAMANT that I needed to be home to sign for it. Repeated it over and over: YOU MUST BE HOME. ADAMANT!

Australia Post has a reputation for that for parcels (not specifically for 'signature required' deliveries). You'd hear nothing then find a card telling you to go to the post office. I had to sign for the delivery today, one of those annoying devices where you use your finger to sign and your signature looks like you were drunk.

[+ easygoingpal]

Hi Mike, sorry to hear your backpack was stolen, gone through the troubles of replacing cards and documents, but happy that you are starting to get replacements.

 

Something to consider as it was mentioned earlier is to save the credit card numbers/info in your smart phone. I have an iPhone and I have several Bank/Debit, VISA and MasterCard cards stored in the digital wallet app. If my wallet were stolen, I think I would get some money from an ATM using the iPhone first and then start calling the banks and credit card companies to cancel the cards.

 

All the best and see you at PS!

JJ

[mike carey]

Something to consider as it was mentioned earlier is to save the credit card numbers/info in your smart phone.

Yes, something I'll have to look into. I currently have a very basic Samsung phone with no memory left for additional apps, and I don't know much about digital wallet apps. When I was cancelling one card, they said if I was using the app (presumably theirs, not Google Pay) the new card could be loaded immediately. Not sure if I could have used it for cash but once you have a card, any card, you have less need for cash anyway.

 

All good suggestions, not just for me but for everyone as this can so easily happen and it's good to be prepared.

[MikeBiDude]

Wow, 1430 on Tuesday and my Amex card was just delivered by DHL courier (it's a premium one, so I guess that's part of what you're paying for). I had notified them in the small hours of Sunday morning.

I had a similar Amex experience in New Orleans when my wallet was pickpocketed. Amex gave me a code word and code name for the courier. A gentlemen in a trench coat arrived at my hotel, front desk called me and said “Mr. codename” is here for you. I came down. Gave the gentleman the code word and he gave me a plain white business envelope with nothing more than my last name on the outside and new card on the inside.

Very “cloak and dagger” and very efficient.

P.S. my other Visa card company cheerfully told me a replacement would be waiting for me at home, not that that helped me in NOLA ??‍♂️

Edited January 21, 2020 by MikeBiDude