Theft charge: without evidence and when it is present

Unpleasant incidents happen, even if it seems to a person that he was not distracted for a minute and was keeping an eye on things the whole time. A wallet can be stolen from the pockets of clothes, bags, purses, and backpacks. If your wallet is stolen, you shouldn’t panic, you need to act immediately, because it’s easier to find the criminal without hot pursuit.

The risk of theft can be minimized. To do this, keep your bag in sight while in a shopping center, train station, or other public places. The backpack is the easiest for scammers to cut, so it is safer to wear it on the front rather than on the back.

Do not leave your bag open, even for a short time, and do not use items that have a broken zipper or clasp. Avoid storing all cards and money in your wallet at once. It is better to place bank cards in different pockets of your bag, leave a small amount in your wallet, and keep the rest of the money in your clothes or purse.

What should you do if your wallet is stolen?

The first thing to do is block the cards.
To do this, you need to call the bank's hotline. After this, you can come to the employees of the credit institution and write an application for a new card. Then you need to contact the police and write a statement about the theft of your wallet. The applicant is given a coupon confirming the receipt of documents and a certificate. This certificate will be useful for further document recovery.

To obtain a duplicate of the compulsory health insurance policy (SNILS), you need to contact the pension fund. If your driver's license is stolen, you need to obtain a temporary document from the MREO. To do this, you will need a certificate of fitness to drive a certain category of transport. Plastic cards can be restored in the store by last name, first name, patronymic or phone number.

Finder of a stolen wallet

If you found a wallet on the street and picked it up, and based on the contents of the wallet it is impossible to determine the identity of its owner, take the wallet to the nearest police station and register it as a find. If you were able to identify the owner of the stolen (lost) wallet, contact him, inform him that you found the wallet and you can transfer it to the owner free of charge at an address convenient for you.

In this case, suspicions against you will not arise and cannot arise, since you really did not participate in the theft of the wallet, but only contributed to the return of the wallet to the rightful owner. In this case, the owner may even encourage you. If the owner tries to bring you to justice, he will be denied this due to your non-involvement in committing the theft.

Be vigilant and try to take all precautions and then you will reduce the risk of becoming a victim of this crime to a minimum.

ATTENTION!

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Where to contact

You need to come to the police as soon as possible.
Write a statement there about what happened. If they refuse to accept the application, you can write a complaint to higher management or the prosecutor's office. You should contact the place where the robbery happened. If you were able to steal a bank card in a minibus, then you need to come to a credit institution. There, write an application for a new card. To restore discount cards, you need to contact the stores where they were issued. The credit institution is responsible for the security of funds in the account, provided that the client also complies with precautionary measures. It will be difficult to return the money if the card holder was negligent: he kept the PIN code next to the plastic card. You need to demand a refund not from the financial institution, but from the criminals. To do this, you need to file a claim against the kidnappers. If the secret code was not used by the robbers, then a statement of claim must be submitted to the bank. There is nothing else to do but sue if the bank refuses to return the funds. It is especially important to report the theft in a timely manner if the money was withdrawn from a credit card, because you will have to pay interest and repay the debt for the withdrawal. You need to establish a fraudulent scheme and prove that you are not at fault.

Important! After the perpetrators are found, it will be necessary to send a statement of claim to the court. A claim must be filed after a criminal case has been initiated. Along with the application, you must provide evidence on which the plaintiff bases his claims.

The statement of claim is filed at the defendant’s residential address. It is necessary to indicate the amount of damage caused; you can demand compensation for moral damage, legal expenses and the cost of purchasing medications if the victim became ill and had to use medications.

Punishment for violators is imposed under an article of the Criminal Code or the Code of Administrative Offenses when less than 1 thousand rubles were stolen. Depending on the severity of the act, the offender may be imprisoned, arrested, sent to correctional labor, or fined.

Lost, wallet stolen along with documents, cards - guide

Losing your wallet is a very unpleasant thing. Not only can it contain cash (although this is a fairly rare case these days), plastic cards, passwords for these cards (!) (which you should never do - carry passwords next to bank cards), but also a number of important business cards and other intellectual trifles, which are very difficult to restore after loss.

Such a loss can bring the owner not only moral, but also financial problems, and perhaps even troubles with law enforcement agencies, if the wallet is picked up by criminals and used according to their criminal understanding. Then go prove that you, as they say, are not a camel and that the map was lost.

An important question arises here: what to do if your wallet is lost? Do I need to contact law enforcement agencies, call 112 and take any other actions?

How to fill out an application correctly

There are several rules that are important to consider when drawing up an application:

1. Written to the site manager. It is necessary to clarify his last name, first name, patronymic and rank.
2. You must indicate your last name, first name, patronymic, passport details, address, telephone number. Anonymous applications will not be accepted for consideration.
3. It is necessary to set out in detail the circumstances under which the robbery occurred. It is necessary to indicate the time of the incident, the number of criminals, their actions, and list what was stolen from the bag.
4. It is also worth indicating your requirements: find and punish violators, return the money.

If money is stolen on a bus, other transport, or public place, the general statute of limitations applies - three years. But you shouldn’t wait that long; the sooner you submit your application, the greater the chance that the perpetrators will be found.

How do pickpockets work?

Pickpockets use a lot of tricks to distract the victim's attention. Many of these tricks rely on the effect of surprise (an unexpected encounter, a question or request for help, a push, etc.). Often, one of the intruders distracts attention while his accomplice steals an item or goes through his pockets.

You should be especially careful in public transport, at train stations and in other crowded places where pickpockets act as follows: they press close to the victim, closer and closer (usually to the back). The person moves away, as a result of which, as a rule, he becomes sideways to the attacker, giving him better access to his bag or pocket.

Precautionary measures

Often citizens themselves are to blame for having their money stolen because they did not take the necessary precautions. Thieves choose their victims from those who are gape: sleeping on the subway, reading a book, or busy with a tablet or phone. To avoid unpleasant situations, you need to take precautions in public places:

• Keep the bag zipped tightly.
• Don't lose sight of your things.
• Do not keep a wallet or phone in your back pockets.
• Keep valuables, personal documents (passport, driver's license) and smartphone in the inner pockets of your clothes.
• Give preference to backpacks and bags made of dense materials so that criminals cannot cut them.
• Choose bags that fasten with a zipper and are secured with an additional rivet. So the thief will have to spend more time to take possession of other people's things.
• If you are on a minibus, subway, store or other public places, do not overload yourself with bags. One hand should remain free for self-defense.

It is easier to steal money from an inattentive person. If the victim is busy, she will not be able to hear the footsteps of the criminals in time and prevent the theft or notice the loss. If you stole money from a store, you first need to contact the security guards; perhaps the incident was recorded by surveillance cameras or there are witnesses to the theft.

What to do if there is a theft?

Recommendations about what to do if a theft occurs may vary depending on the situation. But there are general rules of conduct for people who notice that they have something missing:

1. make sure that you yourself have not forgotten or lost something or money somewhere;
2. if you are absolutely sure that a theft has occurred, try to remember the circumstances of what happened: in what period of time the thief could have acted, did you notice anything strange before that moment, etc.;
3. check if there are any traces of theft (slits in pockets, other damage to things). These traces of the crime in court will serve as strong evidence of the guilt of the criminal;
4. make sure that there are no tools left nearby that could be used by an attacker to commit theft (for example, knives, blades, hooks, scissors and other objects that could be used to remove money, a wallet or other item from a bag);
5. look to see if there are any traces left at the crime scene (including prints in the snow, dirt, grass, etc.). If they are there, try to photograph them;
6. Contact the police as soon as possible to report the theft. Such a statement in accordance with Art. 140 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation serves as the basis for initiating a criminal case. Remember that those crimes that are reported in the first few hours after the discovery of missing money or other property are more successfully investigated.

Note!

Remember that the tools used to commit the crime may have had the perpetrator's fingerprints on them. If you take these items, try to do it carefully, it is better to first put on gloves, wrap your hand in a cloth, etc.

A statement to the police can be made either orally or in writing. If you know where the nearest branch to the place of theft is located, it is better to go there in person. At the same time, you will be able to attach to the case all the evidence collected on the spot (if any), as well as record damage to the bag, pockets or clothing (if any). The application is written to the first head of the police department of the station to which you applied.

In the presence of certain circumstances, there is some specificity of actions.

Stealing money from a wallet

If you notice that someone has stolen money from your wallet, try to call the police to the crime scene. As a rule, such acts are committed by someone from a circle of acquaintances (for example, a co-worker, a housekeeper, a visiting friend, etc.). If the intruder is still at the scene, it would be better if the police searched him in your presence. It is quite possible that the entire stolen amount will be with him.

Note!

The situation will be more complicated if the attacker has already fled the crime scene. If you suspect a specific person, in your statement to the police, include all the information you know about him.

You will have to prove the fact that your wallet contained exactly the amount that was stolen. For these purposes, you can rely on witness testimony, as well as on change data that can be found in receipts from stores (if you have any). Of course, you will have to tell the police exactly how much was stolen, how many bills there were and in what denomination.

Pickpocketing

Money is stolen from clothing pockets, as a rule, in crowded transport, crowded places, queues and under other circumstances when there are large crowds of people. If you find yourself the victim of such a crime, be sure to check your pockets for holes. Perhaps the money just fell into the lining. If there are no holes, but there are traces of cuts on the fabric, then this is strong evidence in favor of the fact that the money was not lost by accident, but that theft occurred. This will help you in court.

When filing an application, you will have to tell the police officer:

• approximate time of theft;
• the place where it occurred;
• what kind of property was stolen (if money was stolen - the amount and denomination of the banknotes);
• special signs of the alleged thief (if you remember).

Theft from hand luggage

Such acts are more common on trains than on planes or buses. Passengers travel by train for quite a long time (more than one day) and, as a rule, get to know their fellow travelers. Even if, as a result of such an acquaintance with a person, a friendly and completely trusting relationship has been established, it is highly not recommended to leave your belongings unattended, especially if there is something valuable to you in your hand luggage. This is the first rule of travel safety, which should be followed strictly in all situations.

If you do become a victim of theft from your hand luggage and find that money or something valuable is missing, proceed as follows:

• make sure that you yourself have not forgotten the item or put it in some other bag of yours;
• report the incident to the conductor, as well as to the head of the train;
• Ask the conductor at the nearest station to bring police officers into the carriage.

Note!

If you suspect your fellow traveler of stealing, you should do all the steps described above as secretly as possible so that this person does not suspect that you caught him and is caught red-handed. This will make it much easier for you to prove his guilt in committing a crime.

Wallet theft

This is one of the most common crimes under Art. 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Like pickpocketing, wallet snatching can happen in crowded places. If you discover a loss, proceed as follows:

• make sure you haven’t forgotten your wallet at home or somewhere else;
• if you are sure that it was stolen, try to reconstruct the picture of what happened: when the alleged theft occurred, who the criminal could have been, etc. It is advisable to determine the time with an accuracy of 5-10 minutes;
• If your wallet contained your bank cards, urgently call the bank and block them. For such cases, always have the telephone number of the credit institution in the memory of your smartphone or in a notepad;
• try to remember exactly what amount was in the wallet, what bills the money was in;
• if little time has passed since the alleged theft, urgently call the police or contact law enforcement officers on duty in public places (metro, transport, train stations, airports, etc.);
• If a lot of time has passed since the crime (a day or more), file a complaint at a nearby police station.

Clothes theft

This is an infrequent occurrence, however, similar incidents occur in cafes and restaurants, where things are stolen from wardrobes or directly from hangers, as well as on beaches. As a rule, the object of the crime is expensive clothing from famous brands.

If you find that your things are missing, then first of all make sure that someone has not simply confused them with theirs. If you are sure that this is theft, call the administrator of the cafe or restaurant and call the police. In your statement, describe in detail the stolen clothing: size, color, brand, special features (for example, the presence or absence of buttons, stains, etc.). Also indicate the approximate cost of the item at the time of purchase.

If clothes have disappeared from the wardrobe where you deposited them, keep the number. Write a claim to the head of the establishment asking for compensation for damage (the cost of the stolen property). You can refer to Art. 901 Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Testimony from witnesses that you deposited this particular item will help you.

Cancel your credit and debit cards

photo: unsplash / Emil Kalibradov

If you lose your debit or credit card, know that the consequences can be completely different. It will be worse if you lose your wallet with a credit card. If lost, it is important to take immediate action quickly. The faster the better.

1. Call or come to the bank in person;

2. Block the card through mobile banking (usually the steps are as follows):

Log in to mobile banking through the mobile application;

Open the card management section;

Find the blocking option;

Block the card;

Confirm the action via SMS message.

If there was a credit card in your wallet and you notice the wallet is missing, immediately block the credit card - even if the wallet is found, this can protect you from serious financial expenses.

Evidence of Freud and Nostradamus

A very original interpretation of this kind of dreams was given by the Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Without changing his manner of seeing in everything a manifestation of the sexual instinct inherent in people, he saw in money a certain sexual symbol - “I want and I can.” A similar meaning is given in his dream book to a wallet with money, the loss of which can in reality be expressed in the presence of various sexual disorders.

If you dream of losing a wallet, then you may well dream of searching for it, which also requires its own interpretation. The famous 16th century soothsayer Nostradamus wrote very convincingly about what it means to look for a wallet with money in a dream. According to his version, this activity indicates that in reality the dreamer’s main enemy is his own apathy, which prevents him from succeeding in business and preventing him from finding personal happiness. This person cannot find himself and treats the life around him with complete indifference.