What to Do If You Lose Your Wallet — The First 60 Minutes

The first hour after losing your wallet is critical. Block your bank cards immediately — every minute of delay is a minute someone could be making purchases with your money. Call your bank's emergency line or use the mobile app to freeze all cards. This is step one, and it takes priority over everything else.

Next, file a police report — even if you think it was just lost, not stolen. The report creates a legal record that protects you from liability for fraudulent transactions. Then begin replacing documents: ID, driver's license, insurance cards. Having scanned copies of your documents stored securely in the cloud can save you days of hassle.