Losing valuable items can create great anxiety. Having the items stolen can be even more distressing. However, you should not panic when your valuables are lost or stolen. Instead, you should remain calm and take action to try to recover your things.

Here, we will inform about the steps that you can take when something goes missing or gets stolen. The tips mentioned here will increase the odds of getting back the items, or catching the culprit.

1. Lost Keys

Keys are one of the most common items that get lost. Whenever you discover that you have lost your keys, you should first look at the obvious places — at least for you. This can be anywhere such as inside the purse, under the mailbox, in the freezer, inside the coat pockets, or in the desk drawer. Also, you may have left the keys inside the car, or on the counter in the grocery or barber shop.

Consider retracing your steps back to when you had the keys. Simulate the scene in your mind. After you have retraced the steps, you should visit the places where you may have lost the keys. Also, it’s a good habit to give spare keys to reliable people like your family member or a friend. If all else fails, you should calmly call the locksmith to use their ‘magic’ in opening the locked car or door. Don’t forget to replace the locks as a security measure to deter any potential break-in.

In addition, you can turn to technology to avoid losing your keys. Consider upgrading to keyless locks so that you don’t have to worry about lost keys anymore. You can also buy a Bluetooth or GPS tracker online for your keys. The tracker can be attached to the keychain. In case you lost the keys, you can quickly retrieve them using an online application.

2. Stolen Mobile Devices

Have you lost your tablet, laptop, or smart phone? If the answer is yes, you should not panic. Keeping your cool is important to recover the lost items, or at least minimize the damage. You should immediately report the lost item to the authorities and get a police report. If possible, provide photographs or a serial number of the stolen mobile device.

Wipe the mobile device remotely if you had anti-theft or tracking software installed on the device. In case such software is not installed, you should change password and pin of all your online accounts. If you had lost your smart phone, you should immediately let your carrier know so that the SIM card can be blocked. This is important otherwise the thief can carry on identity theft using your mobile device.

3. Missing Mail Package

Mail packages can get lost along the way, or stolen from the mail box or the front porch. In case you have a video camera installed, consider replaying the cam to find the culprit. You may be surprised that sometimes, the culprit is the sneaky little thief living under the roof i.e. your pet cat or dog.

In case the mail package isn’t found, you should contact the delivery company to know their policy in case the package is not delivered. If the package has been missing due to their mistake, they should help you recover some of the damage.

Lastly, you should file a police report for the missing package. Also, you should report about the missing package to the Postal Inspection Service. Tell them everything about the missing package including the value, function, retailer, shipping company, color, and other details about the package. The more information you give regarding the package, the better.

4. Stolen Car

Before calling the authorities to let them know about your missing car, you should first make sure that you have not parked it elsewhere. Sometimes, it’s a case of simple forgetfulness. Search the parking lot carefully to find your car. In addition, you should use the panic button in your key lock, and follow the beeping sound. Also, you should call the towing company used by the lot. Ask whether they might have accidentally towed your car.

In case the car is still not found, you should call the police. Request them to prepare a report of the incident. You should also inform the parking lot company about the missing car. Lastly, you should contact your insurance company and inform them of the incident. The insurance company will want to know everything regarding the event. Try to report every detail about the incident as the less information you give, the less credible your report will seem to them.

5. Missing Child or Pet

Sometimes the child or pet gets missing. This can be a devastating prospect that can create a lot of anxiety and stress. However, you should not panic at any cost as it can do more harm than good. Instead, you should consider looking everywhere to find the lost child or pet.

If you have lost the child in a shopping mall, you should contact the mall security guard. Other places to look include video game arcade, playground, or other children nearby. Call the name when searching to increase the probability of finding them. In case you are not able to find your child or pet, you should contact the police. The sooner you inform the police, the better are the chances of finding the child.

Prevention is the best strategy to avoid the prospect of losing your kid or pet. GPS trackers can be used to keep track of your kid or pet. Some trackers allow you to create virtual boundaries. In case, the child or the pet moves away from the boundary, you will be alerted. Also, some of them have a panic button that can be activated by the child when he or she feels scared or lost.