Found Wallet- what to do next?

[CRLLS]

We found a wallet last night while attending an outdoor Xmas light show. We were walking back to our parked car and it was laying on the ground in a dark park. We didn't see any police to give it to and we were in a city 40 miles away from home. WE didn't know where the nearest Police Dept was. We looked around for someone searching for their dropped wallet. Nobody around. We decided to go home and take it to our local Police thinking they had a way to handle it as if it was dropped in their locale. They said it was not in their jurisdiction and could do nothing to get it back.

In the wallet were several debit cards, ID cards and less than $100. Accordingly, we know the person's name. We have an address too, but it was several years old. We don't want to just pack it up and blindly mail it to that address. There are several hints as this may be a sketchy person. We can find a phone number, but we don't want to call from our own phone. Still, we want to get it back to them.

Do you have any ideas of getting it back to them without disclosing our identification that we haven't thought of?

 

[Koolau]

Maintaining anonymity will be difficult no matter how you proceed - including the local police (or the police in the city where you found the wallet). My experience is that if the police speak to you, they will demand your info (and they will run your name).

I'd suggest sending to the address with no return address and forget about it.

 

[rk911]

Mail it or, better yet, bring it to the police in the city in which it was found along with a written explanation of the circumstances. Uncle Google can provide you with an address and directions.

 

[JohnnyPHX]

Did you Google search the address? Sometimes it will show current owner or an occupant. Same with the person's name it might show up with an address. Same with the phone number. Play a little detective and then mail it. If it's not the right address perhaps the post office will forward it?

 

[MdaPetralia]

We can find a phone number, but we don't want to call from our own phone.

Why not? What could happen? You could try dialing *67 before the phone number which would block your number from caller ID.

 

[Jerry1]

Maintaining anonymity will be difficult no matter how you proceed - including the local police (or the police in the city where you found the wallet). My experience is that if the police speak to you, they will demand your info (and they will run your name).

I'd suggest sending to the address with no return address and forget about it.

Close. Send it to the police in that jurisdiction and forget about it. Send it with a tracking number if you want to know whether or not it gets there. Don’t include anything but a note on where and when it was found and request they handle returning it to the owner.

 

[Lewis Clark]

Try dialing *67 before dialing their number when you call them. It will block their caller ID for that one call.

 

[Koolau]

Why not? What could happen? You could try dialing *67 before the phone number which would block your number from caller ID.

Yeah, used to be these things called "pay phones" but I'm not sure they still exist.

Even if you reach someone, you still won't be certain you've reached the owner ("Yeah, I'm Joe Blow and yeah, I did lose my wallet - please send it to my address." Was that Joe Blow? Probably, but you'll never know if you don't meet and see ID.

For less than $100 it's not worth the hassle other than mailing the wallet in my opinion but YMMV.

If you wanted to be certain no one else could use the CCs, you could cut them up before mailing them back. If I lost my wallet, I'd replace all my CCs anyway.

 

[rk911]

Why not? What could happen? You could try dialing *67 before the phone number which would block your number from caller ID.

I don't understand the need for anonimity. The OP has nothing to fear for being a good citizen.

 

[Koolau]

I don't understand the need for anonimity. The OP has nothing to fear for being a good citizen.

Some of us are more private than others, I guess. Or maybe we have better imaginations than others.

In general, the fewer "strangers" who have my info - the better but YMMV.

 

[Jerry1]

I don't understand the need for anonimity. The OP has nothing to fear for being a good citizen.

So you’ve never heard of a Good Samaritan getting burned? Odds may be slim, but why take the chance. OP wants to do the right thing, not meet a stranger and certainly not get involved in anything else.

 

[COcheesehead]

What are the hints of it being a sketchy person?

 

[rk911]

So you’ve never heard of a Good Samaritan getting burned? Odds may be slim, but why take the chance.

On TV, yeah. My professional advice stands to mail, or preferably, take it to the police in the city in which it was found. Police will not release the OP's name to the wallet owner.

 

[Koolau]

On TV, yeah. My professional advice stands to mail, or preferably, take it to the police in the city in which it was found. Police will not release the OP's name to the wallet owner.

Police blotters are generally public record. Just about any interaction with police is considered public and is obtainable by anyone who wants to seek it.

 

[CRLLS]

As for anonymity, as I said, there are several indications that this may be the type of person whom I would rather stay anonymous with lest they think that we stole it from them. I would rather not go into the details of just what those indications are. There were more than one or two. Mailing it to the police is a good idea. I think I would mail it to the closest location where we found it rather than the one closest to their last known address.

 

[Koolau]

As for anonymity, as I said, there are several indications that this may be the type of person whom I would rather stay anonymous with lest they think that we stole it from them. I would rather not go into the details of just what those indications are. There were more than one or two. Mailing it to the police is a good idea. I think I would mail it to the closest location where we found it rather than the one closest to their last known address.

Yep. Let them handle it. No need to give your name/info.

 

[street]

Maintaining anonymity will be difficult no matter how you proceed - including the local police (or the police in the city where you found the wallet). My experience is that if the police speak to you, they will demand your info (and they will run your name).

I'd suggest sending to the address with no return address and forget about it.

Great idea and this is what I would do.

 

[jazz4cash]

I nearly stopped reading when OP said “WE didn’t know where the nearest PD was”. Google much? I think I would create a unique email and send a note with no return address. Direct recipient to identify contents and maybe general location of lost wallet via unique email. If the address is not current just destroy the cards, keep or donate the cash and dont’t worry about it. You could try reporting it to the debit card issuer, I guess.

 

[GrayHare]

"You found my wallet? It had $1000 in it but you say less than $100? I'll be right over to fix this."

 

[rk911]

Police blotters are generally public record. Just about any interaction with police is considered public and is obtainable by anyone who wants to seek it.

Activity, yes, complainants, witnesses, etc...no. Unlikely that found property would end up on the activity sheet.

 

[Koolau]

Activity, yes, complainants, witnesses, etc...no.

I would guess that all depends. Local news haunts the police blotter and lots of juicy stuff gets out from time to time. YMMV

 

[rk911]

I would guess that all depends. Local news haunts the police blotter and lots of juicy stuff gets out from time to time. YMMV

This is not, presumably, Mayberry and found property is not sexy...unless it's a Jaguar XK.

 

[RetiredHappy]

What are the hints of it being a sketchy person?

Google the name of the person (using address as validation that you have the right person) and you can find out alot of info about the person on the internet.

 

[COcheesehead]

Police blotters are generally public record. Just about any interaction with police is considered public and is obtainable by anyone who wants to seek it.

Not true

 

[COcheesehead]

Drop it in a mail box. Let the post office deal with it.