Lost or stolen item? Start here.

A practical UK guide to help you protect yourself, report the incident, secure your accounts, gather evidence, and improve your chance of recovery.

If anyone is in danger

Call 999 if the theft is happening now, the offender is nearby, someone is being threatened, or there is immediate danger. If you are safe and it is not an emergency, report online or call 101.

Get safe first

Do not chase, confront a seller, or go to a tracker location alone. If there is immediate danger, call 999.

Write down the facts

Record the exact time, location, last known place, witnesses, CCTV nearby, tracking details, and anything unusual.

Report and secure accounts

Use 101 or online police reporting when safe, then lock devices, freeze cards, block SIMs, and change key passwords.

First 10 minutes

The first few minutes are about safety, memory, and preserving evidence. Do not put yourself at risk to recover property.

Stay safe first

Move somewhere safe before thinking about the item. Do not chase anyone, confront a suspected thief, or go to a tracking location alone. If the theft is happening now, someone is threatening you, or there is immediate danger, call 999.

Check the obvious places quickly

If it is safe, retrace your last few steps. Check seats, tables, counters, toilets, changing rooms, lockers, cloakrooms, taxi seats, train seats, and reception desks. Ask staff if anything has just been handed in.

Write down the timeline while it is fresh

Make quick notes before details become unclear:

When and where you last definitely had the item.
When and where you first noticed it was missing.
The exact location: street, venue, platform, bus route, train line, shop, seat number, locker number, table number, or nearby landmark.
What happened just before you noticed it was missing.
Whether your bag, pocket, locker, vehicle, or room looked disturbed.
Any suspicious behaviour you noticed.
Description of anyone involved, if seen: clothing, height, bag, bike, scooter, direction of travel, or vehicle registration.

Do not guess. If you are unsure, write “not sure”.

Ask witnesses before they leave

If anyone nearby may have seen what happened, ask calmly:

“Sorry, I think my item has just been stolen. Did you see anything? Would you be comfortable sharing your name and number in case police or insurance need a witness?”

Name.
Phone number or email.
What they saw.
Where they were standing or sitting.
Whether they have photos, video, dashcam, helmet cam, or doorbell footage.

Speak to staff or security immediately

If it happened in a shop, café, gym, pub, office, hotel, university, station, bus, train, venue, shopping centre, or residential building, speak to staff straight away.

Check lost property.
Preserve CCTV for the exact time window.
Log the incident internally.
Give you manager, security, or lost-property contact details.
Confirm the exact address or location name.
Tell you how long CCTV is usually kept.

Useful wording:

“Could you please preserve CCTV from around [time] to [time] near [exact area]? I’m reporting this and may need the footage as evidence.”

Capture evidence before it disappears

Take photos or screenshots of:

The location where it happened.
Nearby CCTV cameras, entrances, exits, station signs, street names, or shop fronts.
Damaged locks, cut chains, broken glass, opened bags, broken zips, or forced lockers.
Tracking locations with the date and time visible.
Any suspicious messages, login alerts, payment attempts, or device movement notifications.

Do not throw away damaged locks, bags, packaging, or anything that may help prove theft.

Protect yourself from further loss

If your phone, wallet, bank cards, keys, laptop, or documents were taken, take the most urgent protective step immediately:

Freeze bank cards if a wallet or phone was taken.
Lock or mark a device as lost if tracking is available.
Contact your mobile provider if your phone or SIM was taken.
Change your email password first if your phone or laptop may be accessible.
Tell your employer if a work device, access card, or work documents were involved.
Treat stolen keys as urgent if anything with your address was taken too.

You can deal with police reports, insurance, device recovery, and marketplace monitoring next — but these first steps protect your safety, memory, and evidence.

Useful UK numbers and official resources

Use official routes for urgent reporting, fraud, documents, transport lost property, and property registration.

Police.uk contact and reporting British Transport Police report a crime Report Fraud TfL lost property Cancel a lost or stolen passport Replace a driving licence BRP lost, stolen or damaged guidance Police station finder Victim Support Immobilise property register BikeRegister Stop Scams UK 159

Lost or stolen?

If it may simply be lost, start with the most likely lost-property route. If you believe it was taken, report it as theft and explain why.

If it may be lost

Check venue, transport, taxi, building reception, gym, university, hotel, café, restaurant, shop, or local council lost property.
Use Report My Loss where useful for insurance or searchable lost-property records.
Keep a record of who you contacted, when, and any reference number.

If you believe it was stolen

Say clearly: “I am reporting a theft of my item.”
Explain why: you saw someone take it, a bag was opened, a tracker moved, a secure place was entered, cards were used, or a witness saw it.
Ask for a crime reference number and how to add further evidence later.

Reporting to police

Use the right route and give specific details. This helps police, insurers, banks, and recovery services.

999

Emergency: danger, violence, robbery, burglary in progress, offender still nearby, or theft happening now.

101

Non-emergency police report, crime reference number, evidence updates, tracker information, or witnesses.

BTP

For trains and stations: 0800 40 50 40, text 61016, report online, or call 999 in an emergency.

What to include in your report

Item type, brand, model, colour, approximate value, and condition.
Serial number, IMEI, bike frame number, laptop asset number, or other identifier.
Distinguishing marks: scratches, stickers, engraving, dents, case, accessories, or photos.
Exact location, date, time noticed missing, and last known confirmed location.
Why you believe it was stolen, not simply lost.
Witness details, CCTV locations, tracker screenshots, and marketplace links if found.

Police report wording

At approximately [time] on [date], my [item] was stolen at [exact location].

I last definitely had the item at [time/place]. I noticed it was missing at [time/place].

I believe it was stolen because [explain clearly].

The item is [brand/model/colour/value/serial number or IMEI/frame number/distinguishing marks].

Evidence available: [photos, receipt, CCTV location, witness details, tracking screenshots, marketplace listing].

Please provide a crime reference number and tell me how I can add new evidence later.

Protect devices, accounts, cards, and identity

Some thefts are about access as much as the physical item. Secure accounts quickly, especially if a phone, laptop, wallet, or ID was involved.

Phone stolen

Use Apple Find My, Google Find Hub, or the device tracker immediately.
Mark the device as lost or secure it remotely.
Do not remove an Apple device from Find My, even after erasing it, because that can weaken Activation Lock protection.
Contact your mobile network, block the SIM, ask about IMEI blocking, and give the IMEI to police.
Remove Apple Pay or Google Wallet cards if needed, contact your bank, and change passwords for email, Apple ID or Google account, banking, WhatsApp, social media, and cloud storage.
Do not click texts or emails claiming your phone has been found unless you are certain they are genuine.

Laptop or tablet stolen

Use Apple Find My, Microsoft Find My Device, Google tools, or company device management.
Lock the device remotely and erase it if recovery is unlikely or data exposure risk is high.
Change your email password first, then cloud storage, banking, social media, work tools, shopping accounts, and password manager credentials.
Sign out of active sessions where possible.
If it is a work device, tell your employer or IT/security team immediately.
Rotate API keys, SSH keys, admin credentials, and client-data access if they may have been stored on the device.

Cards, wallet, or payment apps

Freeze cards in your banking app and call your bank using the official app or website number.
Use 159 if you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from your bank.
Remove cards from Apple Pay or Google Wallet if the phone was stolen.
Check recent transactions and report suspicious payments immediately.
Change banking app passwords if your phone was taken.
Watch for follow-up scam calls, messages, or emails.

Passport, driving licence, BRP, or ID

Cancel a lost or stolen British passport as soon as possible through GOV.UK.
Replace a UK driving licence through GOV.UK if it is lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed.
Report a lost or stolen BRP or residence card through GOV.UK guidance.
Tell your bank if ID was stolen with a wallet, phone, proof of address, or keys.
Watch credit reports and be alert for SIM-swap, loan, delivery, and account takeover fraud.
Report fraud or identity misuse through Report Fraud where relevant.

Keys stolen

Treat keys as serious if they were taken with anything showing your address.
Change locks if your address may be known.
Tell your landlord, building manager, concierge, estate agent, or employer where relevant.
Cancel or deactivate fobs, key cards, access cards, garage remotes, office passes, or gym cards.
If car keys were stolen, contact your insurer and dealership.
If keys and ID were stolen together, treat it as a security risk, not only lost property.

Bike, vehicle, and transport incidents

Give identifying details, use the right reporting route, and keep recovery attempts safe.

Bike stolen

Report to police online or through 101.
Provide frame number, make, model, colour, photos, and exact location.
Update BikeRegister or another cycle database if registered.
Search marketplaces carefully, but do not confront sellers.
Tell local bike shops and cycling groups.
Keep your crime reference number for insurance.

Vehicle stolen

Call 101 and ask for local police unless there is immediate danger.
Provide registration number, make, model, colour, and location.
Get a crime reference number and contact your insurer.
If the vehicle may have been towed, check with the local council or TRACE first, especially in London.
Police usually tell DVLA if a vehicle is stolen or found.
If your insurer pays out, follow DVLA guidance about the vehicle being sold to the insurance company.

Transport lost property or theft

If it was stolen on a train or at a station, report to British Transport Police.
For rail lost property, contact the relevant train or station operator.
For London transport lost property, use TfL lost property; if something was left on a bus in the last few days, contact the bus operator first.
For taxis or private hire, contact the operator or app used for the journey.
Keep journey details: route, vehicle, carriage, platform, seat, time, and booking reference.
If the situation is urgent or unsafe, call 999.

Evidence and insurance

A stronger claim or recovery attempt usually depends on proof. Keep originals and screenshots safe.

Crime reference number and police report confirmation.
Photos, receipts, warranty emails, bank statement showing purchase, and insurance details.
Serial number, IMEI, bike frame number, model number, colour, unique marks, and purchase date.
Tracking screenshots, last known location, CCTV business names, and witness contact details.
Marketplace listing screenshots, seller profile, listing URL, messages, price, location, and item photos.
Proof you blocked cards, SIM, accounts, payment wallets, or the device.

Ask your insurer

Am I covered for theft away from home?

Is accidental loss covered?

Is there a single-item or valuables limit?

Do you need proof of forced entry?

Do you need a police crime reference number?

Is there a reporting deadline?

Will claiming affect my premium?

Should I claim through home, phone, travel, gadget, bike, or vehicle insurance?

If your item appears online

Do not try to recover it yourself. Preserve evidence, update police, and report the listing to the platform.

Do not

• Threaten or confront the seller.
• Arrange a meeting alone.
• Attempt a sting.
• Reveal private information.
• Post the seller’s address publicly.

Do

• Screenshot the listing and save the URL.
• Save seller name, profile, location, price, photos, and description.
• Capture any serial number, mark, scratch, sticker, case, engraving, or accessory.
• Send evidence to police using your crime reference number.
• Report the listing to the marketplace.
• Tell your insurer and update Seeker if you are using it.

Police update wording

I have found a marketplace listing that appears to match my stolen item reported under crime reference [reference number].

The listing is on [platform], posted by [seller name/profile], located in [area], listed for £[price].

It appears to match because [serial number / unique mark / colour / model / scratch / sticker / case / engraving / photos].

I have attached screenshots and the listing link. Please advise next steps. I will not contact or meet the seller myself.

Register and prepare before anything happens

Recovery is easier when identifiers already exist. This is not dramatic work, but it is very effective.

Register valuables on Immobilise, BikeRegister, or another relevant property database.
Keep photos, receipts, serial numbers, IMEI, frame numbers, and warranty emails somewhere secure.
Enable Find My, Find Hub, full-disk encryption, strong passcodes, biometrics, backups, and two-factor authentication.
Keep software updated and avoid storing passport or driving licence photos unprotected on your phone.
Use a quality bike lock, lock frame and wheel to a fixed stand, and park in visible or CCTV-covered places.
Keep keys, passport, address documents, cards, and high-value receipts separate where possible.

Had something stolen?

Tell Seeker what happened and help us build tools that make stolen goods harder to resell.

Tell us what happened

Are you a shop, reseller, insurer, or local business?

Join Seeker’s recovery partner network and help identify stolen property earlier.

Become a Seeker Partner