Lost your ID, Your Wallet? Don’t Panic!
By Saniyah Gamez | October 19, 2026
A quick step-by-step guide for how to handle losing important belongings.
At the end of a recent journalism class, I realized I had lost my sling bag. Almost everything I needed was inside it: my wallet, room keys and IDs. The only thing I had with me was my phone, which provided only a modicum of relief.
I retraced my steps, returning to the bathroom in the basement of the Humanities building, where I had my journalism class, and checking the Chemistry building, where I had my previous class. I searched the informal “lost and found” in HU 043, as well as random offices and classrooms. As the search continued, I became increasingly agitated and convinced someone had stolen my bag.
I called Campus Police. I called my mother. I canceled my credit cards. But what could I do next? I had no money and no identification to prove my connection to the university. I was distraught.
I went back to my professor, who was teaching another class in the same room in Humanities. I waited for a beat by the open door before bursting into tears. It felt like I was going mad. She suggested we check the Campus Center Information Desk, which I later learned also serves as a lost and found.
We did. At first, the answer was no.
Now what?
Moments later, one of the desk attendants said, “I remember it!” He pulled my orange sling bag from a cabinet behind the desk. A good Samaritan had found it in the bathroom and dropped it off. I felt relieved and thankful.
The experience left me with one question: If you lose something on campus, where should you go—and who should you call?
So you don’t have to stress too much, I called campus officials about the best practices for finding lost items.
First, while there are several unofficial lost and founds on campus, the Information Desk at the Campus Center, near Starbucks, is the official lost and found location on campus. This is where many IDs and small bags end up, according to students who work the desk.
The next stop is to check with the University Police Department. Deputy Chief Jennifer Baldwin said many lost items such as ID, keys, and wallets are turned in to police from Residential Life or the Campus Center. Baldwin said it’s important to report lost keys because it’s not just about finding the key, but keeping others safe from intruders.
Baldwin said she could not provide an accurate number of items lost, because so many lost items go unreported. But a quick check of the campus police database however, shows that I was not alone.
Since the beginning of September to the present, there were 11 reports of lost property but also 91 reports of found property.
With this information in mind, here are some tips from experts like Baldwin, bank websites and campus center lost and found staffers to keep in mind when finding an item that is not yours or losing your own items.
For ID:
Lock up your physical ID, and use the UAlbany Mobile ID app as the primary method for ID access
Use an ID/Card holder that affixes to your phone or other item that you would not likely forget or lose
“If an ID is found, turn it into UPD, the Campus Center welcome desk, a Res Life office, the UAlbany ID card office or other trusted University department, ” said Baldwin.
For Credit Card:
Call your bank, or go to the app/website of your bank and close your account and lock your credit card.
If you cannot find your card within 48 hours, cancel it and request a new one.
Don’t share your credit card. You don’t have to lose it, to get financially burned.
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