Losing your belongings can be really frustrating, especially if you lost your wallet with all your identity cards in it, which I did last week.
As a clumsy guy since child, this definitely is not the first time I lost anything in my life. For countless time, I have lost many stuffs back in Malaysia: handphones, wallets, etc and none has ever been found. Each time I lose a thing, all I can do is really just pray, pray and pray. Those experiences are probably traumatising for the most of us, especially back then when I had to face to wrath of my mother, and now the wrath of my girlfriend for losing the wallet she gifted to me.
But the experience was totally different in Singapore: there are a lot more things you can do here in hope of retrieving back your lost belongings. In this article, I will be sharing all the steps we can take when we lose our wallet or any belonging in Singapore.
Step 1 : Check if you really lose it
Check your left pocket, your right pocket, your bag, your hat, your socks. Slow down and recall where you have been because very high chance you may only misplace it elsewhere.
If you have been to any restaurant or shop, go back or give them a call to ask if they have any lost and found, their contact number usually can be found on Google.
If you suspect that you may leave it behind on a public transport, these hotlines will help:
MRTs and Buses:
SBS Transit Lost and Found : 6383 7211 ( throughout bus/train operating hours)
SMRT Lost and Found : 1800 336 8900 (7:30am to 8pm daily)
Tower Transit Lost and Found : 1800 248 0950 (7:30am to 1am daily)
Go-Ahead Singapore Lost and Found : 6812 6458
Taxis
| CityCab Pte Ltd | 6552 1111 |
| Yellow Top Taxi | 6293 5545 |
| Trans-Cab Services Pte Ltd | 6555 3333 |
| SMRT Taxis Pte Ltd | 6555 8888 |
| Prime Car Rental & Taxi Services Pte Ltd | 6898 2000 |
| Smart Automobile Pte Ltd | 6485 7777 |
| Comfort Transportation Pte Ltd | 6552 1111 |
| Premier Taxis Pte Ltd | 6363 6888 |
Ride Hailing Apps
Grab (Follow the steps in this link to call back your driver through the Apps)
Gojek : 31353136
Step 2 : Cancel all your bank cards
If you have indeed lost it, immediately contact your banks and cancel all the bank cards., even if you still think that there is a chance your wallet can be recovered. Below are the hotlines available 24 hours.
| ABN AMRO | 6597 8866 |
| American Express (AmEx) | 1800 732 2244 |
| Bank of China | 6331 7128 |
| CitiBank | 1800 225 5225 |
| DBS / POSB | 1800 339 6963 |
| Diners Club | 6416 0900 |
| HSBC | 6472 2669 |
| MasterCard International | 800 110 0113 |
| Maybank | 1800 535 4084 |
| OCBC | 1800 363 3333 |
| Standard Chartered | 1800 747 7000 |
| The Islamic Bank of Asia | 6878 5522 |
| UOB | 1800 222 2121 |
| VISA | 6437 5800 |
Step 3 : Make a Police Report
A police report is necessary particularly if you lose your NRIC or Work Pass, but do take note that there will be two types of reports here:
- make a lost property report for property that is not lost through crime
- lodge a police report if you believe that the property is stolen
You can lodge both reports online (Singpass required) or visit the nearest police posts.
Once you have made a report, a hardcopy will be given to you, which can serve as proof that you have lost your identity documents, in case you need it.
You can then make calls to Police Found and Unclaimed Property Office (FUPO) hotline number 68429645 to check if your property is found and handed over to the police.
In any case that you recovered your lost property, or there was any unauthorized transaction made while you lost your bank cards, immediately call the police center number shown on the hardcopy to inform the police for further action.
Step 4 : Give it some time
Regularly make calls to the relevant parties to check if your property is found (for this to happen, the lost property must be found by someone and turned in to the authority). Give it some days, but only certain number of days because if you have lost your identity documents alongside, you must report it within a certain period:
| Types of Identity Documents | Must Report Within | Report To |
| National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) | 14 Days | ICA |
| Work Permit | 7 Days | MOM via your Employer or Agent |
| Singapore Passport | Immediately | ICA |
| Foreign Passport | Immediately | Police Station |
Step 5 : Get replacements, learn the lesson and move on
While all above steps will help increase the chances of recovering your lost property, it is not a 100% guarantee. Hence if there is no news after a few days, it is time to move on, but make sure you learn the lesson, and be more cautious next time.
Here’s a glimpse of how painful (or costly) this lesson can be:
| Types of Identity Documents | Location | Damage | Processing Time |
| Singapore Identity Card | ICA | S$100 for first loss, S$300 for second and subsequent losses. | One month |
| Work Permit | MOM via your Employer or Agent | S$100 for first loss, S$300 for second and subsequent losses. | Within 4 working days |
| Singapore Passport | ICA | S$50 for first loss, S$100 for second and subsequent losses in addition to the prevailing passport fee of S$70 or S$80 | One month |
| Foreign Passport | Embassy, high commission or consular office |
Bonus Step :
I found an active Facebook group Singapore Lost And Found where people are posting about what they lost and what they found where you can actually give it a try. Some people really recovered through this group!
In A Nutshell
Again, all of the steps above only increase the chances, but unfortunately do not guarantee that you will recover back your lost property.
But don’t beat yourself over it, learn the lesson, move on and be more careful next time.
Whenever you leave somewhere, make it a habit to always turn back and have a look.
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