Lost & Found Credit cards

Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police station. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Visa's emergency number is tel. 0508 600300 in NZ. American Express cardholders and traveller's check holders should call collect to the U.S. at tel. 001 715 343-7977. MasterCard holders should call tel. 0800 449140 in New Zealand.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 0800 005253 in NZ; www.westernunion.com).
Identity theft or fraud are potential complications of losing your wallet, especially if you've lost your driver's license along with your cash and credit cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately, placing a fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for criminal activity. The three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies are Equifax (tel. 800 7660008; www.equifax.com), Experian (tel. 888 3973742; www.experian.com), and TransUnion (tel. 800 6807289; www.transunion.com). Finally, if you've lost all forms of photo ID call your airline and explain the situation; they might allow you to board the plane if you have a copy of your passport or birth certificate and a copy of the police report you've filed.