Lost Wallet Story to share

eatwell365 on 05/11/2016 - 12:39
Last edited 05/11/2016 - 12:40

Friend's 80 year old father did not know he had lost his wallet yesterday until credit card company called that someone was using his credit card on a shopping spree in Westfield Sydney North. Myer raised the alarm when the guy went over $100.

$400-$500 damage in 2 hours. Credit card and police are excellent - they will make good of the transactions.

Just thinking why the thief would be so unwise to do the shopping spree especially in Westfield. His face will be in video footage everywhere.

Po is getting his replaced. In the past, people at the very least, would have the decency to post the wallet back or drop in the letter box without the money.

General Discussion

Comments

  • Settero on 05/11/2016 - 12:48
    +1

    500$ damage how much resources do you really think they will dedicate to this investigation ?

    • [Deactivated] on 05/11/2016 - 13:04
      +5

      My local iga prints out a4 pictures of all theives and puts them around the shop. While the police wouldn't chase up, you never know what individual stores may do!

    • fadeinthemix on 28/05/2017 - 11:41

      You would be surprised. There was 15 cops looking for people that didn't pay their off peak go card fare.

  • try2bhelpful on 05/11/2016 - 13:03
    +5

    It is sickening how some people react, isn't it? I would be taking it straight to the information desk and dropping it off, it is what I hope other people would do with my stuff. The thing to consider is the wallet may have been pick pocketed as well. I hope he isn't too traumatised by the event.

    • coin saver on 05/11/2016 - 14:26
      +3

      I have found wallets twice both times i advised the store/ information desk my contact details and the police station i will be taking it to.

  • holdenmg on 05/11/2016 - 14:00
    +3

    Hi,

    Just a tip or two.

    Consider talking with the Bank about setting up a Daily Limit on all Credit Cards. If you know you need to go above the limit you set, you can increase it online.

    Consider getting a Rechargeable Card for Day to Day use such as:
    https://store.colesprepaidcards.com.au/store/reloadable
    You don't have to use it at just Coles, use it anywhere you like… top it up from time to time though…

    Also, a good to have for a spare card if you lose your Cards or your Primary Card gets damaged and scratched. So keep it apart from your wallet or for Emergencies.

    Last, if you have a Mobile Phone, Photograph all Cards (both sides), so you can quickly contact the Number on the Back to report Lost/Stolen. Even if you lose your phone, you will be safe as long as you have to unlock your phone with a PIN or a swipe.

    Or go to a Newsagent and lay them out in a grid and photocopy them.
    20-40 cents, job done.

    Don't forget to notify Medicare and others as people can use Cards and ID to open accounts or even adopt your identity.
    (Mind you I hope they take over my HECS Debt if they do this). lol

    Think about getting a Chain to attach the Wallet to the Belt (Mr Minit) so the Wallet doesn't end up in a Taxi or anywhere else.

  • altomic on 05/11/2016 - 15:12
    +12

    I've found 4 wallets in the last 12 months.
    1. Found in main street, person lived far away so I took it to police.
    2. Found in underground carpark. Waited there 5 minutes and the lady came back.
    3. Found wallet in street whilst driving. Dude lived nearby. Went to his house, no one home so left note and took it to police station.
    4. Found wallet in next street and knew the owner by sight as had seen her around a lot. But licence address was far away (not updated?). Rang her Cc company and asked if they could call her and tell her that her wallet was at local milk bar. They called me back and confirmed they spoke to her and was happy.

    All wallets had cash in them (from $50 - $350) . but it's not my money and I'm not an arsehole that I would keep it. I'd hope if I lost my wallet that people would be decent.

    16 years ago I found a wallet with $800 in it just a week before I went on a holiday to NZ. The money would have been superhandy, but it wasn't my money. It had a recently cancelled drivers license in it. So I drove half an hour to the address. The owner of the wallet answered the door all red eyed and puffy faced. Her first words were "do you have my wallet?" Handed it over and she broke down in tears and repeatedly thanked me. She explained it was her rent money for the month.

    Don't be a dick and take stuff that doesn't belong to you.

    • studiosoundguy on 05/11/2016 - 15:35
      +1

      Couldn't agree more, unfortunately society isn't like this anymore and they are after a quick cash grab some people
      Honesty is the best recourse

      • Euphemistic on 21/11/2016 - 12:01

        I think people are more honest than not. Most people who have found a wallet will go to some extent to return it and not raid the contents. obviously it's different if they've stolen it in the first place, there are some scum out there

    • outlander on 05/11/2016 - 15:42

      If someone found a wallet, turned the cards into a police station but donated whatever money was inside to a charity, would that make them a good person or a bad person?

      • havebeerbelywillsumo on 05/11/2016 - 16:01
        +3

        Bad/unthinking person….money could be absolutely critical to wallet owner, see altomic's tale as an example.

      • try2bhelpful on 05/11/2016 - 18:16

        I agree that if you can find the owner then you should return the wallet intact to them. If I find a significant of money in the street then I drop it at the cop shop. If I find a small amount of money in the street then I usually drop it into the charity tin at the next place I find one or leave it where it currently is.

        • AlienC on 18/11/2016 - 08:03

          What's your cutoff for a small amount of money and a significant amount of money?

          Genuinely interested and also asking for a mate cough I mean friend. Haha lol

        • try2bhelpful on 20/11/2016 - 17:16

          @AlienC: small amount would be up to $50. I think if I took anything smaller than that to the cops they would laugh at me.

        • AlienC on 21/11/2016 - 10:31

          @try2bhelpful:

          Hmm ah yeah I guess that makes sense

          Something something about not wasting anybody's time

    • PJC on 05/11/2016 - 16:56
      +1

      Good work.

  • studiosoundguy on 05/11/2016 - 15:40
    +3

    I don't think criminals give a toss if they're on camera, they are usually professional groups with the kingpins much higher up the chain getting the scummy low life ground people to do the work, get the card, tap and go a few times and try their luck with paypass, maybe the attendant didn't want to split it into even 99.99 amounts or maybe the account hit the limit

    In all honesty, theres not much myer will do about it, possibly report and hand over footage to the police if asked but they look at it as a transaction and the issue is between the card holder and their provider

    Of course you are protected, its the inconvience and having to sort everything out again that would really upset me, Criminals won't change unless they get locked up, also you have to note most places have dreadful CCTV, not network cameras, most businesses have older coax cameras with horrendous image quality / no audio recording, I do installs for a living and upgrading to decent 3mp Hikvision cameras with a good DVR reduces crime in a big way in their shop as criminals "scope out" an area before they pick their target

  • [Deactivated] on 06/11/2016 - 20:46
    +1

    I found a purse on the street on holidays in Japan in Feb. Took it to the nearest police box who proceeded to take inventory of contents (incl approx $100 AUD equivalent cash).

    Got stuck somehow doing a mountain of paperwork and 20 questions until I figured out the purpose for the paperwork was the reward for finding a wallet, as over there apparently you get a percentage of value. Promptly told them didn't care about a reward and I was on my way.

    I wonder if that sort of system would help things here, but it'd be disappointing that people would have to be incentivised to do the right thing.

  • Spending2Much on 09/11/2016 - 18:50
    +1

    Found two wallets in my time. Well, one was a purse, other a wallet.
    Same same
    Went out of my way to make sure and ensure the rightful owners got them back and fully intact. Few years ago I was struggling to make ends meet….
    I always thought to myself,of inlost my wallet, I'd only hope someone does the same for me.
    Ive had a wallet stolen (picked) and lost a wallet, probably picked, don't know…..
    Neither found there way back to me.
    But I'd still do the same today, it's a feel good moment and the right thing to do.

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