Many people carry a lot of important items in their wallet, from cash through to their drivers license and credit cards, so if it gets lost or stolen this can have a significant impact on their day-to-day lives.  If your wallet goes missing then it is important to take prompt action to protect yourself against any potential identity theft crimes, and should report this to the local police immediately (you never know someone might have handed it in).

Insurance Cards
If you lose your insurance card contact your provider immediately and inform them of this so that they can put a flag on your file, and also request a new card to be sent out as soon as possible.

Social Security card
You shouldn’t be carrying around your SSN card unless you really need it, because it can be used by identity thieves for a number of serious fraudulent crimes such as to cover the real identity of illegal immigrants and other ineligible people so that they can apply for jobs or benefits.  If however you do lose your SSN card you should notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on their dedicated ID Theft Hotline-1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), and also contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to request a new card and also a statement of earnings (this will help you to check if anyone has used your number to apply for a job in your name).

Credit/Debit/Store Cards
If any of your plastic cards are stolen you should telephone your providers as soon as possible, as they will be able to cancel them for you almost instantly.  The quicker you do this the more likely you are to avert any fraudulent charges, as once the cards are cancelled they will be useless to the thieves.  You should also report missing checkbooks as quickly as you can, and then the bank will be able to flag up those check numbers that are involved so that they will be able to isolate them if anyone tries to cash or pay for something with them.