I just thought I would give an update to all the ones who heard about my badge holder disappearing Friday morning during Gen Con. Lots of folks expressed their concerns and told me they were sorry it happened, so let me say a huge Thank You! It was a terrible feeling to know your ID, badge, cash, insurance card, etc was gone. Plus I didn't know if I would deal with lots of identity threats.

Anyway, my Gen Con badge holder, complete with everything EXCEPT the cash, arrived today via the US Postal Service today. The strap was cut, so I'm guessing that's how the person was able to get the badge off my belt loop while I was standing at the street corner. I suspect it was when I was bumped when the light changed.

I will still need to keep an eye on my credit, just because they could have written down the info. But at this point, everything but the money itself has been returned! :)

Glad to see a bit of closure to this and sorry it happened.  I would recommend something like Free Credit Report dot Com (baby).  It costs some money (read the fine print), about what an MMORPG costs per month, but it will give you email alerts every time someone accesses your credit in anyway.  And I mean every time.

I'd consider it at least for a few months just to keep an eye on the situation.

It is nice someone decided to return the badge to you.

That's amazing. Did they include a note? I was wondering if the thief returned it or if someone found it and returned it.  I guess you already got a new license and such. Too bad it wasn't returned sooner.

I'll agree with others in saying that it's great to hear that your badge was returned - It's still so upsetting though, that you had to go through all of that in the first place (I heard about all of the troubles at the Wenches lunch). I know there is a credit report site out that there is 100% free (one of my old professors told me about it), but I can't recall what it is right now - I'll have to look in my old notes to see if I wrote it down.

You can get one free report per year from each of the reporting bureaus at this site:

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

You don't have to sign up for any service to get the reports for free, as each of the bureaus is supposed to provide you with a free copy of your report once per year, if you request it.

By filing a Police Report then going to the FTC website (www.ftc.gov, I believe) you can get all your reports, driver's license, etc watched for one year. They will email you if they see any activity.

The credit reports will monitor for free for 90days, after that it's MMORPG monthly fee.

I am very well versed on this, if anyone has questions LOL

Solitude:

That's amazing. Did they include a note? I was wondering if the thief returned it or if someone found it and returned it.  I guess you already got a new license and such. Too bad it wasn't returned sooner.

 Apparently after taking the cash, they dropped the badge in the USPS postal box, and the federal law requires the USPS to deliver it to the address on the driver's license.  It did cost me $1.68 in postage to receive the package.

I'm glad you got the most important stuff back!!!!! 

So, there is honor amongst thieves after all. Sorry you got your cash taken, but at least you got your stuff back. Hope a bunch of Mexicans don't start working under your SOC, that is a nightmare when they start filing 1099s under your social and then the IRS wants to know why you didn't pay taxes on all that landscaping work you did.

Eindar:

So, there is honor amongst thieves after all

More likely the thief took the cash and tossed the wallet.  Some good samaritan dropped it in the mailbox later.

Doesn't that seem a much more likely scenario?

Is good that you got it back.  Now the question is can this be turned into an adventure.   

I am so glad you were right when you said it was going to come back to you.

Sounds to me like someone read Larry Niven.

There is a section of one of his books where Beowulf Shaffer goes to Earth. He's pick pocketted and the girl who does it notices he doesn't have postage affixed to his wallet. She stops him and points out that pick pocketting is rampent on Earth because of the crowding and everyone attaches postage to their wallets so they will get their ID and such back.

I have lost my ID's a few times and it was pure hell getting them back and that was BEFORE 9-11. Happy to see you don't have to go through that. Hope everything turns out ok with your credit/ID too. Most likely it will as the thief likely disposed of the evidance quickly by dropping it in the nearest mail box. Still a good Idea to keep tabs.

One year I believe it was 2002 or '03 I had my wallet stolen/lost two times. Once before christmas and once after.

Right before christmas I was helping my little brother deliver his newspapers and my wallet must have slipped out of my pocket somewhere along the way, I was so upset I had money and all my id's in there. Well a week later I recieved a package and a card in the mail.

The Christmas card read:

Dear Ashley, My elves found your wallet in the snow and I tried to dry everything the best I could, I hope this reaches you in time for christmas!
Don't forget to leave me cookies by the chimny.

-Santa

I cried, I could not believe someone took the time to not only dry my stuff but put it all back and mail it to me. The week after christmas I was in the mall shopping with my christmas money and gift cards someone bumped me and nabbed my purse. Later that night I just took a chance and check lost and found they took everything but my ID. It was not a good christmas, lol.

TygerLily:

By filing a Police Report then going to the FTC website (www.ftc.gov, I believe) you can get all your reports, driver's license, etc watched for one year. They will email you if they see any activity.

The credit reports will monitor for free for 90days, after that it's MMORPG monthly fee.

I am very well versed on this, if anyone has questions LOL

That is some great information.  I hope I will never have to make use of it, but if I do, I now know what steps to take!

Thanks!