I found a wallet on the sidewalk, and posted an ad asking if someone had lost one. Obviously, I wasn’t going to state a name, as there are many who wouldn’t mind scooping up a wallet full of ID’s, health cards, etc. Especially since I got a lot of emails telling me it was their wallet, yep, honest guns. Yeah, right. Anyhow, one email stands out as possibly being legit. I asked if she would tell me the last 3 number of her SIN card in the wallet. She sent me back emails stating that she was reporting me to the police…wha? I even gave her my phone number so she could call and we could discuss what was in the wallet. More nasty emails about the fraud I was doing. I decided it was just as well as to turn the wallet into the police station, and then I’m told she was suing me. Do you realize, my dear, how crazy you sound? I even considered just tossing it into the harbour because of your rudeness… and not even a word of thanks. You suck. —Finders Not Keepers
This article appears in Mar 1-7, 2012.
You’re supposed to turn it into the police, or drop it in a mailbox. Don’t get involved in shit that ain’t your business…Although, it wouldn’t be hard to tell her to bring a bill with her name and address on it to prove its her. But you gotta play the BIG MAN, riflin’ through all her stuff,… SIN numbers are private. I guess, she felt you were shady and withholding her belongings. Threatening to throw them into the harbour, maybe?
Furthermore, She probably already had to get all new cards while you were playing sleuth on kijiji for a week. The cops would have contacted her that day. BIG FAVOR you did!
OB, if they bother you again, tell them where the wallet is, and threaten them with a harassment charge.
next time, just take the cash and toss the rest. never get sucked into this bullshit again. if some idjut can’t keep track of their own belongings, why should you or i. again i say fuck them. just wipe off your prints, and toss the fucking thing away.
Many other people would have appreciated what you did. Don’t let one asshole make you lose faith in humanity.
I do agree taking it to the police would have been your best bet.
OP. you are an idiot. anyone properly informed about their social insurance number should not hand it out to people over an email. If you got a nasty email, she probably thinks you are a fraud.
The OP was only asking for the last 3 digits…to prove ownership.
I agree wholeheartedly with no_fool. Just give it to the police already.
I dunno…why not ask for other identifying factors rather than something in relation to a SIN number?
I wouldn’t be comfortable with it.
On the other hand…I thought you weren’t supposed to leave your SIN card in your wallet?
you shouldn’t cannatell, i have mine memorized
I commend you for trying, OB, but shoulda just given it to the coppers.
They have ways of finding contact info for people and coulda gotten it back to her asap.
Sorry OP, but you could have asked the woman for OTHER identifying features of the wallet. For instance; what about her name, for starters??? I think her name, along with a detailed description of the wallet, perhaps, would have been enough. How dare you ask someone who didn’t know for sure that it was HER wallet you really had, instead of one of the many random opportunistic internet scam artist looking for sin numbers? it sounds like got too pushy, asking her for details of the one piece of id nobody but Revenue Canada is technically even allowed to ask for. I have a feeling she probably gave you PLENTY of idfentifying features of the wallet and it’s contents, but you were on a bit of a self-righteous power trip.
….A couple of typos there; I had a shitty sleep!
what the frig — zilla got BANNED?
Cheese and rice!
zilla’s one of my favorite posters, don’t do me like this, Bird!
FREE THE GIANT RADIOACTIVE LIZARD!
Seriously, until this social injustice is rectified I’m going to peacefully Occupy my couch and support locally sourced frappuchinos while not playing hackeysack and wishing I had an I-phone.
Lets all link arms and sing Wilco songs.
So wait….my comments get removed, but the two comments directly referring to my comments are still here.
I wasn’t even trolling. The hate the site admin has for me is funny.
and it’s not like your trolling is harmful and nasty like NGF and olddrew’s!
Even Thomas laughs at your tommy-trolls!
Speaking of which…
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/7931/de…
This had to be done….
Email her back and tell her the police have it. And warn her that they will hold her to a MUCH higher degree of identification scrutiny than you did.
Then tell her to stop harassing you or you will sue her.
Most people don’t know their SIN numbers. I do and people find that surprising. It’s not that i’m overly anal about it.. it’s that i keep misplacing the card.
Hey there, I just had to respond to the comments. I did ask her for other identifying information, gave her my phone number to discuss things, even the color of the wallet for starters. And when she went all wonky on me, I wrote her back, telling her that I had turned it into the police, even what cop station. I was trying to do a nice thing, and if ever I find myself again in this situation, will indeed just turn it in to the police. Lesson learned.
Once, coming home from a funeral, left my purse in a Toronto airport. The finder was nice enough to call ‘Mom’ on my cell phone, and yes, I was only too happy to confirm any information she needed. Then the sweet lady went to the airline and they put it on the airline, and I went to the airport and got it back.
I won’t let the owner of this wallet allow me to lose faith that there are still some decent people out there.
Hip Hip Hooray OP….thank you for being logical, careful and human….I had my wallet stolen a few weeks ago, a nice couple found some of my ID and called me by looking me up in the phone book and I was so thankful to meet them which restored some of my disgust for HRM people… in general…. They also saved me from having to report them all stolen of which my Drivers license would have cost me… You did the right thing one of many option. the ungrateful person sounds like a whack job.