Lost & Found — What To Do When You Lose Something
Step-by-step guide for marking items as lost, offering rewards, handling stolen items, and recovering found items with QrioTag.
Losing something important is stressful. QrioTag is designed to help you get it back. This page covers everything you need to do when you lose an item, what happens when someone finds it, and how to handle stolen items.
Item Statuses at a Glance
ACTIVE
Your item is registered and working normally. The scan page shows your profile and contact options.
LOST
You've reported the item missing. Finders see a lost alert, your message, and a contact form. You get notified on every scan.
STOLEN
The item was taken without consent. A theft warning appears on every scan, and location data is captured with each notification.
Marking an Item as Lost
When you realize something is missing, the first thing to do is mark it as LOST in QrioTag. This changes the scan page to show a lost alert, displays your finder message, enables rewards, and triggers scan notifications immediately.
Go to Your Tags
Click "Tags" in the navigation menu to see all your tags.
Find the Tag
Click on the tag for the item you have lost. This opens the tag detail page.
Click "Mark as Lost"
On the tag detail page, click the "Mark as Lost" button. It is displayed prominently with a warning color.
Add a Message for the Finder (Optional)
You will be prompted to add a message shown to anyone who scans the tag. Good messages include:
- "I lost these keys near Central Park on April 5th. Please use the contact form to reach me!"
- "This is my dog Max. He is friendly but scared of strangers. Please call me immediately."
- "This laptop contains my thesis work. I would be so grateful if you could help me get it back."
Offer a Reward (Optional)
You can offer a monetary reward to incentivize the finder to return your item. Enter the reward amount (up to $10,000).
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Reward Amount | The dollar amount you are offering (minimum $1, maximum $10,000) |
| Currency | The currency (defaults to USD) |
| Description | An optional note about the reward (e.g., "Cash reward upon return of keys") |
See the Rewards page for complete details about how rewards work.
Offering a reward is completely optional. Many people return items without any incentive. But a reward can increase the chances of getting your item back.
Confirm
Click "Confirm" to mark the item as lost. The tag status changes to LOST and you will see a red badge on the tag in your tags list.
Reporting Lost on Mobile
You can report a lost item from anywhere using your phone. The Report Lost form opens as a full-screen modal on mobile.
What Happens When Someone Scans Your Lost Item
When a finder scans the QR code on your lost item, here is what they see — and what you get:
Alert Banner
A prominent banner reading "This item has been reported as lost" appears at the top of the scan page.
Lost Message
If you wrote a message for the finder, it is displayed clearly below the alert — your words, exactly as you typed them.
Reward Shown
If you offered a reward, the amount is displayed to motivate the finder to reach out.
Contact Form
The finder can submit an anonymous contact form to send you a message — their identity is protected, and so is yours.
You Get Notified
You receive an instant scan notification via email, push notification, or both — depending on your notification settings.
Scan Notifications
Every time someone scans your lost item, you receive a notification containing:
- Which tag was scanned — item name and QrioTag ID
- When the scan happened
- Where the scan occurred — approximate city and country based on the scanner's location
- Scan method — whether they used a QR code or NFC
You can configure how you receive notifications (email, push, or both) in your notification settings. Make sure scan alerts are turned on so you do not miss anything.
Marking as Found
When your lost item is recovered, update the status:
Go to the Tag
Navigate to the tag that was lost and found.
Click "Mark as Found"
On the tag detail page, click "Mark as Found." This button appears when the tag status is LOST.
Confirm
Confirm that you have recovered the item. The tag status changes from LOST back to ACTIVE.
After marking as found:
- The scan page returns to normal (no more lost alert)
- The reward, if offered, can be resolved — see Rewards
- The tag continues to work as usual
Stolen Items
If your item was stolen (not just lost), QrioTag has additional features to help.
Status Change Summary
| From | To | How | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVE | LOST | Click "Mark as Lost" | You lost the item |
| ACTIVE | STOLEN | Click "Report Stolen" | The item was stolen |
| LOST | ACTIVE | Click "Mark as Found" | You recovered the item |
| LOST | STOLEN | Click "Report Stolen" | You realize it was stolen, not just lost |
| STOLEN | ACTIVE | Click "Mark as Found" | You recovered the stolen item |
| FOUND | ACTIVE | Click "Confirm Recovery" | You have the item back |
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