Guide
Reporting a loss or a theft: what the police letter should say
When a phone, a wallet or a bag goes missing, the report you give the police is often needed afterwards: by the mobile operator to issue a duplicate SIM, by an insurer for a claim, by an office for duplicate documents. A clear letter handed in at the station, with an acknowledgement, serves all of these. This tool writes it in the standard letter layout, with facts in the order a duty officer needs them.
Lost or stolen
The first choice is the kind of report. A lost article report records that you have lost something and do not suspect a crime. A theft complaint says you believe the item was stolen and asks the police to register your complaint as a First Information Report, to investigate and to give you a free copy. Which route applies in your case depends on the facts and local practice, and some police services now take reports online or by phone.
What goes into the letter
You address the Station House Officer, or the duty officer, of a named police station and city. The letter opens with your name, optional relationship to a parent or spouse, age, address, phone and email. Then it states what happened: the item type and a description, with make, model, colour and numbers; an optional approximate value; the date and time; and the place. A free-text box describes the circumstances in your own words. A last switch says whether you have already blocked the SIM, bank cards or accounts that could be misused.
The closing paragraphs ask for the record or acknowledgement, explain why you need it, and promise to tell the police if the item is found. The enclosures line lists a copy of your ID and proof of ownership or purchase if available.
Two worked reports
The first sample is a lost-article report dated 10 November 2026 from Neha Joshi to the Deccan Gymkhana Police Station in Pune. The item is a black Samsung Galaxy S23 with IMEI 356789012345678, worth about ₹52,000, lost on 9 November 2026 at about 6.30 pm on a bus between Deccan and Swargate. She had put it in her jacket pocket, found it missing at Swargate and found the phone switched off, and has already blocked the SIM and cards. The second sample is a theft complaint from Dev Malhotra at Leeds, for a rucksack containing a laptop, a passport and keys, with a request that the police register an FIR.
Tips for a report that gets used
Be exact with dates and places, and do not guess. If you do not know when something was lost, say “between 2 pm and 5 pm on 9 November” rather than a single time. List each item separately if several were taken. Keep the acknowledgement safe, photograph it, and send the reference number to your insurer and operator. If the item turns up, tell the station so that the record is closed.
Limits
Police procedures differ across states and countries, and a station may ask you to use its own form or online portal, or to attend in person. This tool writes the letter only and does not file it. It is a general format, not legal advice, and it cannot decide whether an event counts as theft.
Related tools
- RTI Application Generator is for obtaining public records, and is not part of reporting a loss.
- Affidavit Format Generator records a sworn statement, which some offices require for a lost document.
- Bank Letter Generator helps you tell a bank to close or stop something after a card goes missing.
- Complaint Letter Generator covers disputes with companies, not crimes.
Checked against the current version of the Police Complaint & Lost Article Report Format on .