Consumerist

wallets

How To Keep Pickpockets Out Of Your Pants

By Phil Villarreal 2.10.12

If you’ve been properly pickpocketed, you won’t realize you’ve lost your wallet until you need it next — most likely long after the crime has occurred. You’re more vulnerable to pickpockets when you travel, because many thieves make a living by stealing from wandering tourists who carry more cash than others. [More]

lost and found

Lost Wallet Returned To Man After 40 Years

By Phil Villarreal 2.21.11

If you lose a wallet and can’t find it for a few decades, that’s usually a sign you won’t see it again. But a 77-year-old former New York Times employee managed to recover a wallet he lost at the paper 40 years ago. [More]

lost and found

Homeless Vet Returns Cash-Filled Wallet To Owner

By Phil Villarreal 12.16.10

If you ever lose a wallet stocked with cash but no identification, you can probably forget about ever reuniting with it. But a homeless 49-year-old Navy vet in Boston made the near-impossible happen for the bike messenger who lost the precious cargo. [More]

above and beyond

Rogue Wallet Replaces Entire Batch Of Bad Wallets, Stuns Customer

By Laura Northrup 9.15.10

Michael writes that his wallet, which he purchased over a year ago, was starting to fall apart a bit. He recently received a new wallet in the mail from Rogue Wallet, the small company that manufactured his, but…. he had never contacted the company. He wasn’t dealing with a psychic wallet maker. (That would be awesome.) Instead, he discovered a company that very candidly owned its mistake and wanted to please customers even if nothing had gone wrong with their personal wallets yet. [More]

safety

Five Things To Do Before Losing Your Wallet

By CareyGB 7.24.10

Look, it’s going to happen eventually. Whether it’s pickpockets or carelessness, you’re going to lose your wallet. When you do, you’ll be glad you took these five steps to make recovery simple and painless. [More]

lost and found

Cute Baby Photos Can Help Recover Lost Wallets

By consumeristcarey 7.11.09

Strangers are more likely to return lost wallets containing photos of cute babies, according to British researchers. The scientists sprinkled 240 wallets across Edinburgh last year with pictures of either a smiling baby, a puppy, a “happy family,” or a “contended elderly couple.” It turns out nobody cares about your pooch, retired parents, or smugly superior family life. But that cute wittle baby? Apparently it triggers a “compassionate instinct towards vulnerable infants that people have evolved to ensure the survival of future generations.” Finally, an everyday use for evolution!

apple

Create A Phone Stand For Free With A Business Card

By cwalters 5.5.09

Some PR person just sent us a notice about a new wallet-sized iPhone stand, which reminded us that there’s an easy and free alternative, and it most probably works for a lot of other (fairly thin) media devices as well.

faraday

'Identity Theft-Proof' Wallet Blocks RFID, Goes In Front Pocket

By cwalters 9.18.08

If you’re concerned about your RFID-chipped credit cards being skimmed, you might want to consider shielding them. DIFRwear makes a wallet with the shielding already included, and now roguewallet in Maine has introduced its own RFID-shielded version, with a fin-shaped design so it fits better in your front pocket to thwart pickpockets. Unfortunately, it’s also $50, compared to $20 for the more conventional looking DIFRwear hip-pocket design. (Both are FIPS 201 compliant, if that means anything to you.)

bank of america

Bank Of America Lets Identity Thief Withdraw $40,000 In A Single Day

By consumeristcarey 7.27.08

Bank of America twiddled their thumbs as an identity thief withdrew over $40,000 from Chris Hooley’s account over five transactions in a single day. Chris canceled his Bank of America debit card immediately after he lost his wallet, which should have put a big red flag in Bank of America’s system to stop them from handing over tens of thousands of dollars to a stranger. Apparently it didn’t!

diy