Wallet returned---without the cash

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I posted about this on the BBQ Pit —Friday I lost my wallet. Today I got a call from my Library that someone dropped it off in their overnite bin in a plastic bag. When I got there everything was intact—except a few hunnies in cash, not surpisingly.

I’m conflicted about this. I’m mad about losing the cash, but glad the wallet was returned, and as far as I can tell, none of my credit cards were used. But what is the conflicted morality of this person? They stole my cash, yet took the time to make sure I got my wallet back.

I may be looking a gift horse in the mouth, but if you are the type of person that would steal money, why bother returning the wallet at all? Do they think returning it absolves them of taking the cash?

Or am I wrong? Do you feel this individual deserves all the cash because they were nice enough to take 15 minutes to drop it off at the library? What if there was a thousand dollars and they took it all? I guess if they helped themselves to a hundred and left the rest I wouldn’t even bring this up.

If they gave it to me straight up, with all the money inside, I would happily given them 50 or 60 bucks. Am I putting a price on right and wrong?

Have you ever found a lost wallet? What did you do? Did you do like this person and help yourself to the cash, then anonymously return it? What was the thought process?

Or am I the bad guy here who irresponsibly lost his wallet, had it returned, and should be thankful rather than feeling burned? I guess from my moral “high ground” at this point in my life, I would return everything, intact, to the owner and not expect anything in return. Maybe when I was 23 and on unemployment it would be a different story.

I will say this—I truly do hope whoever found it is someone that really needed the money, and they used it to pay rent or buy food or clothing for themselves and their family, or to pay off bills. And if they are reading this, kick in a sawbuck or two to charity!:cool:

2

I wouldn’t have assumed that the person who took the money from the “discarded” wallet and the person who found the wallet (perhaps with cash already stolen) and returned it were the same. Especially since the returner is conscientious enough to bag it so that nothing further is lost.

3

Being upset is certainly understandable, but serves no purpose. Since you have no idea who took the money, assume it was a struggling parent who is having problems putting food on the table.

4

By the way - get all those card numbers changed/replaced. Yes, it’s a huge hassle, but they were in the hands of somebody who was perfectly happy to steal hundreds of dollars from you…

5

To address your more philosophical questions, no I don’t think anyone is entitled to a reward for this. Expecting to be given one when returning the wallet is obnoxious, and proactively taking it before returning the wallet is straightforward theft that ought to be prosecuted.

That said, if someone returned a wallet to me I’d probably offer something to reimburse them for their “inconvenience”, but would politely decline that if offered to me. Sometimes you’ve just got to be the world you’d like to live in.

6

This was my first thought.

7

I’m personally curious which of those things you might not have done when you were 23 and on unemployment: return everything, intact, or not expect anything in return?

8

I lost or was relieved of my wallet once. I would have loved to get it back sans cash. I didn’t have as much money in it as you, but still. Getting everything replaced was a pain. I don’t carry a purse or wallet anymore. My lisc.and insurance cards are in my car glove compartment. CCs are only brought out if I am gonna use a particular one. Going in shopping it’s either cash or debit card in my hand or pocket.

9

russian heel:

No conflict. He/she is a thief, pure and simple. But said thief knows that, practically speaking, you’ll cancel your cards as soon as you realize they’re stolen, so there’s little-to-no point in grabbing them. But the cash is useful, so it got taken.

10

I, too, would assume that the wallet was tossed aside and discarded by the real thief. Don’t impute less-than-scrupulous conduct to the kind stranger who found and returned your property!

I have found lost wallets containing several hundred dollars in cash, lost bags, lost mobile phones, lost pocketbooks, lost car keys, etc. In each case, you make an effort to return the item to its owner. Never got a reward, nor did it cross my mind to expect one- it’s a pretty straightforward “Golden Rule” situation.

11

You’ve found wallets, plural? With “several hundred dollars in cash”? Sounds suspicious to me…

I’m picturing some lucky dude finding a wallet and doing a happy dance, and saying to himself: “Woo, hoo! Free cash! … But, I should have mercy on this poor schmoe and leave him his cards… Best to you, Random Victim Guy, we’ll all toast you when I buy a round for everyone at the tavern tonight!”

12

I found a wallet once, in a ditch next to my house. It had everything in it except cash. I found the owner’s business card in there and texted him, then dropped it off at the local police department.

What had happened was exactly what others have said - someone stole this guy’s wallet (as he was paying at a local business), took the cash out and tossed it out their car window into my ditch. I know about the robbery since he told me via text.

I was the Good Citizen who returned it. Don’t assume it was me who took the cash!

13

Only the once. Looked like around $400-500. Dropped in a café.

I have a friend who was mugged by a couple of junkies while walking home from a bar. He said they demanded his wallet, pulled out all the cash, and handed the wallet with the rest of its contents back…

14

I have been in this exact same situation. I left my wallet at a spartan race and was too far away to go back when I realized it. A few days later I received my wallet in the mail sans cash. At first I was frustrated, but now I prefer to think that the person who mailed it to me is not the person who took my cash. I’m just glad I got back everything else in my wallet

15

I heard from a associate that taking the cash but returning the wallet is the ‘reward’ for the efforts of returning the wallet and makes it possible to return it without physically connecting with the owner. Some wallets have more money then others, but it averages out to a reasonable reward. He seemed to indicate that this was normal and expected. I sort of taken this as cultural ( S. America don’t remember the country), and in some ways it makes sense. It certainly is better to get it returned san cash.

The setting for this was when I found his wallet, on a road side, when I looked at the ID it was him and returned it in full (cash included). He upon receiving it took out the cash and handed it to me stating the above, which i said I didn’t want it and insisted he takes it back. so it was not to his benefit. All and all I respect his position as he is willing to life or die with the consequences. As a general rule, it seems better to get the wallet back and worth the reward charge.

16

Damn, I found my neighbors wallet on the street a few years ago & brought it to his door. No cash was in it & I now fear he thinks it was me who took it :eek:

17

I don’t think a real thief would walk up to a person’s door and hand them the wallet. Maybe an incredibly dumb one might. I wouldn’t worry about it.

18

I agree with Emo:

19

Besides if you keep the cash it’s petty theft if you use the cards it’s federal theft and possibly fraud

Although sometimes you get everything back but the id/liscence and SS card which gets sold…

20

I’ve found several wallets and the first thing I do is cut up the CC, if possible in front of a witness to ensure I’m not accused of using it. Wouldn’t help today since all you need is the numbers from the front and back. I never open up the cash section, again so when the wallet is returned I can neither confirm or deny how much was there.