Who said chivalry is dead? Good Samaritan Luis Salazar discovered a fanny pack hanging on the safety railing of a bathroom in Wawa, Florida. Within, he discovered cash to the tune of $30,023. Despite his inability to locate the owner, he managed to return the cash.
It took a combination of police work, good intentions, and quick action on the owner’s part to recoup the lost cash. It’s also a case study on how an ordinary person might recover lost valuables — turns out, you’re more likely to recover lost property than you might think.
‘It’s not mine to keep’: Man returns $30,000
Salazar’s actions shocked the fanny pack’s owner. The owner, who asked to remain anonymous, made money from selling Pokemon cards. He told the Washington Post he planned to use the money for a medical procedure for his sister.
“I was pretty astonished that anybody would have done that,” he told WPBF News. “Think about it. That’s life-changing money. People would kill for that kind of money.”
Salazar’s actions would surprise many, experts included. One poll of 279 “top performing economists” found that the majority believed the more money a lost wallet contained, the more likely it would be kept by whomever found it. Researchers and participants of a Scientific American study agreed.
But the study revealed the reverse is true. The more money a lost wallet contained, the more likely people were to return the wallets to their owners. In fact, most people who found wallets with money reported them. This held true across dozens of countries.
The study suggested two reasons people returned the wallets. One, altruism is alive and well. Two, people didn’t want to think of themselves as thieves. “$30,000 is great, but it’s not mine to keep,” Salazar told The Post. “I like to earn my money.” The takeaway: people should think twice before giving up on lost valuables — even large sums of cash.
Despite being unable to locate the owner, Salazar was able to return the fanny pack thanks to the Riviera Beach police, who were alerted by the fanny pack’s owner. According to The Post, the police opened a grand theft investigation and search, identifying Salazar a few days later.
You may be equally well-served by reporting lost goods to the local police. The LA Police Department lets you file a lost property or theft report online. Other jurisdictions may offer similar services.
If you lose a wallet with cards, there’s more you can do. One is to lock your missing credit cards. You may be able to do so by logging into your credit card app and toggling a “lock” that prevents your credit card from being used.
Afraid of someone using your stolen info to open a new credit line? You can freeze your credit by contacting any of the three major credit bureaus. “Everyone should freeze their credit unless they’re going to use it,” said Ivory Johnson, CFP and member of CNBC’s Financial Advisor Council. “Everyone. Because you can unfreeze it with the click of a mouse.”
Stolen cash is impossible to freeze, but it may be premature to give up the search straightaway.
“I guess maybe there’s just more good people in the world than most people think,” the fanny pack’s owner said.
Cole Tretheway has been covering money for four years. He started as an intern at The Motley Fool Money, covering best-of credit cards, savings accounts, and financial products. He's since expanded into wholistic personal finances, including the psychology of money.
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