I’ve definitely had better days than yesterday. Â My purse was stolen sometime during my visit to the breakfast buffet – and while only my wallet and the bag itself were the only things to go missing, I was pretty emotional about the whole experience. Â While I managed to get all the cards cancelled and file a police report within an hour, I was still a wreck for most of the day. Â Here’s how to deal with wallet theft while traveling, should you find yourself in my unfortunate predicament:
Numbers, numbers, numbers. Â Do this right now – take out all your credit cards, and save the 1-800 numbers into your phone. Â Commit all your credit card and bank account numbers to memory (this is the safest way), and pray that you never need to use them.
AMEX it up. Â Bank debit cards are awful about expediting replacement cards. Â And though Visa/Mastercard is accepted the most in Europe, they are as bad as debit cards. Â With American Express, you can go to a local agency and get a replacement card after 24 hours of reporting your loss. Â So keep your corporate AMEX on hand at all time, or go sign up for one. Â Now.
Give someone an extra debit/credit card. Â My husband was able to FedEx me his debit card to our joint account, to help me cover non-AMEX covered expenses for the rest of my trip. Â Make sure your parent/significant other has a debit card to your account, just in case. Â This is also a good time to keep an emergency credit card with your passport, safely tucked in your safe.
Lock it up. Â Never, EVER carry your passport around while travelling. Â Keep it locked safely in your hotel room safe, as well as with some cash, an emergency credit card, and a photocopy of your driver’s license (you’ll need it for the police report).
Stay calm. While I managed to keep my cool until safely ensconced in my hotel room alone, I definitely had a minor breakdown, as I really loved that purse.  Freaking out won’t help anyone, especially yourself, when trying to cancel cards or speak with local police (you’ll need to file a local police report if you want insurance to cover the cost of your lost items).  But sobbing when you’re alone is totally acceptable.
Never, ever, let go of your belongings. Apparently 5-star hotels aren’t totally safe.  Never, ever put down your purse or bag unattended, even at a breakfast buffet.  Better yet, leave everything locked safely in your hotel room when dining and return to the room to pick up your belongings.  I certainly will, from now on.
RIP, Foley and Corinna bag and Michael Kors wallet. Â I loved you dearly, and it will be hard to replace you :(
