lostfrom.site

How it works, and how to stay safe

Practical guidance for owners and finders, plus the privacy rules and terms that govern this directory.

About

lostfrom.site is a public directory for belongings that have gone missing. Each report connects an object with the place it was last seen, giving owners one link they can share and giving finders a safe way to respond.

The directory covers objects only. Missing people and missing pets are not part of it, because those situations need different information, different safety measures, and local help.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Post the item

    Describe what was lost and where it was last seen. Six short steps show you exactly what becomes public before you submit.

  2. Step 2

    Share the listing

    Send the public link to local groups, businesses, friends, and neighbors, or print the notice with its QR code for a noticeboard.

  3. Step 3

    Bring it home

    Receive a secure response if someone believes they found it. Verify with the private detail you kept back, then arrange a safe handover.

A submitted report is sent privately to the lostfrom.site administrator, not stored as a public record. The administrator reviews it, removes anything unsafe or overly identifying, and manually creates the public listing with only the approved information. Someone who submitted a report may ask the administrator to update, close, remove, or mark the resulting public listing Reunited by including the submission reference or public listing number. Additional verification may be required.

Reunited and closed listings may remain visible as part of the public directory unless the person who submitted the report requests removal.

Post a lost item

Reporting safely

  • Keep at least one distinguishing feature private so you can verify a potential finder.
  • Never publish complete serial numbers, key codes, identification numbers, account details, or other sensitive information.
  • Give a general last-seen area rather than a private home address.
  • Remove personal information from photographs before you link them, and avoid screenshots that show documents or account screens.
  • Report scams, duplicate reports, or abusive messages using the "Report a problem" action on any published listing, which sends a private notification to the administrator.

For identification documents, medication, weapons, suspicious objects, or any situation involving personal safety, contact local authorities rather than arranging a private handover.

Returning an item

  • Ask the owner to describe the private detail they held back before handing anything over.
  • Meet in a busy public place, or leave the item with a staffed lost-and-found desk.
  • Never send money, share financial details, or pay shipping fees to an unverified person. Legitimate returns do not require an advance payment.
  • For valuable items, consider a police station lobby, a bank lobby, or a staffed reception area.
  • Once an item is back with its owner, the listing is marked Reunited rather than simply found.

Privacy

  • Email addresses, phone numbers, and ownership-verification details are never published.
  • Neither a lost-item report nor a finder response is stored in a publicly readable record before publication. Each is sent only as a private notification to the administrator, who reviews it and relays appropriate information to the listing owner.
  • Only approximate locations appear on public pages and maps.
  • Only listings the administrator has manually published are indexed by search engines.
  • To request an update, closure, or removal of a listing and its associated submission, contact the administrator with your submission reference or public listing number.

Terms of use

  • This directory is a free public noticeboard for lost objects. Posting a report does not guarantee that an item will be recovered.
  • Reports must be truthful, must concern belongings you own or are searching for on behalf of an owner, and must not contain another person's private information.
  • Submissions are reviewed before publication, and reports that appear fraudulent are removed.
  • Automated collection of listings, bulk scraping, and repeated automated submissions are not permitted.
  • Owners and finders arrange handovers between themselves. Use the safety guidance above, and involve local authorities where it applies.