Lost Debit and Credit Cards
If you have ever lost a debit or credit card you know exactly what that nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach feels like the very second you realize that the card isn’t in your possession. Did you lose the card? Did someone steal it? Is someone using it right this very moment to buy a bunch of stuff on your dime?
Most of the time it’s a matter of having misplaced the card somewhere within your home or car and nobody is running amok with your card. On the other hand, if you aren’t sure whether you left your card somewhere in your house or instead if maybe you left it on a counter at the store, it’s best to be cautious instead of waiting around to see if the card turns up somewhere a little later. After all, unless you know for sure that the card is somewhere within your house (and you just can’t find it right away) then you just don’t know if someone has found it and is fastidiously draining your bank account or maxing out your balance.
Here are the steps you should take when you lose a credit or debit card:
Contact the card company. You should make sure to write down the special “Lost & Stolen Card” phone number listed on the back of your card or displayed on your statements. Program the phone number into your phone since you won’t be able to reference the number from your card when your card goes missing. Call the financial institution immediately when you realize you don’t have the card anymore because the faster you react the quicker you can stop someone from getting access to your account.
Check your account. Take a look at your account and see if there are any charges on the card that you didn’t make. You’ll need to let your financial institution know which charges are from you and which aren’t. Keep in mind that just because there aren’t any fraudulent charges on your statement it doesn’t mean that your card is safe. Someone may have your card and might be waiting to use it.
File a police report. If your card was indeed stolen - or if it was lost and someone found it and started using it - you will want to file a police report. This demonstrates to the card company that your card was actually stolen and will help you when you need to contest the charges on your card. Filing a police report can be a pain since your needs are pretty low on the law enforcement totem pole, but it’s still a good idea because it will help you in the future. You don’t need to know who is using your card in order to file the report; you’re merely making an official record that the card was stolen.
Time is of the essence when you lose your credit or debit card, so don’t delay your reaction to the situation.
