How to Handle Missing Money
- 1). Remain calm. The more you panic, the harder it will be to think clearly and recover the money. Step away from the situation and take a few deep breaths.
- 2). Retrace your steps in your mind, then physically walk back through all the places you visited that day. Look around those places for where the money could have dropped or been misplaced.
- 3). Report the loss to the appropriate authorities. If it's your money, report the loss to the police and to someone in charge of the location where you think you lost the money, such as the customer service counter at a department store. If it's not your money (e.g., it belongs to your employer), report the loss to your supervisors.
- 4). Formulate a plan. If you've lost a substantial sum, work on getting some short-term cash. Consider having someone wire money to you if you're far from home. If you have your credit card, you may be able to use it for a cash advance. Otherwise, you may consider asking strangers for money after explaining your situation.
- 5). Accept that the money may be lost and don't stress over it---that won't help you find the money. Continue to search for the money. Follow up with the places where you may have lost the money to see if they've had any leads.