What should I do with a wallet I found on the ground three days ago? (details inside)

Good for you for attempting to return the wallet to the rightful owner. What about contacting the emergency number on one of the bank cards? Let them know the situation. Hopefully, they will reach out to the owner to let them know.

From a security aspect, the bank card company may just advise you to cut up the card and throw it away. This happened to me once when I found a card on the sidewalk. At least they had the opportunity to follow up with the owner, even though situation was not resolved on my end. You might get a bank card agent that understands your desire to return all belongings to the rightful owner.

It that doesn’t work, how about contacting the local police department?

I would take it to the Police Dept. and let them decide what to do with it.
You could also call the numbers on the bank cards and tell them you found them. I’m sure they would want to know the cards are floating around. They would certainly notify the card owner.

I would drop it in at the police station. If I lost my purse, that’s where I would go after cancelling my cards.

Drop it in the night deposit of the bank for which it contains a card. The bank will get it to the owner.

When I found cash along with an ATM receipt, I took it to the bank the receipt was from. They got it to the woman it belonged to, who happened to be a neighbor. :)

I also recommend going through the bank. They have more interest and presumably, more direct contact with the person, even if only via monthly statements.

I think it would also be wise – even if you are returning the belongings to the bank – to destroy that card and leave a note in the wallet that you have done so. The bank will certainly want to have that occur with a card that’s not in the owner’s control. (And it precludes the possibility – however slight – that a dishonest bank employee could make use of it and blame you.)

Send another message to the guy telling him what you have done. He may simply be unsure of your honesty. If someone messaged me that they had found my wallet and would be happy to return it to me, then I’d either need to meet them face to face (no problem for me, unless I’m wary of the place) or give them one of my addresses to send it to. He may be hesitant about doing either of those things in today’s fearful world.

Bravo for you, though.

Definately go to the police department. I didn’t know it’s a crime to keep a wallet you found. A woman that works with some family was caught on camera picking up a wallet. She kept it. She got busted.

When I left mine in a parking lot a man called me and said he had it. So I drove to pick it up. The money was gone but all the credit cards and all were still in it. Too bad you can’t call him on the phone.

Thanks for all the advice, guys :)

He still hasn’t contacted me, so I guess I’ll head over to the police station tomorrow. I thought I’d be able to give it back to him the same day I found it, all heroic-like…now I just want this to be over.