Legal disclaimer & acceptable use

Last updated: September 12, 2026

Important: LostaFound is a user-content platform, not an insurer, police service, identity-verification service, escrow agent or guarantor of any return. Please read these terms together with Privacy and Community rules. Mandatory legal rights remain unaffected.

Use at your own risk

LostaFound, lostafound.com and its apps provide a platform for user-submitted lost-and-found reports and communication. The website, apps and services are provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, lostafound.com, LostaFound, and their owners, operators and developers disclaim all liability arising from or relating to use of, or inability to use, the website, apps or services. This includes losses or damages involving user posts, inaccurate information, messages, disclosed locations, fraud, disputes, third-party services, meetings, lost or damaged property, unsuccessful returns, interrupted service, or any payment or reward arrangement.

No guarantees or verification

We do not guarantee the identity, honesty, ownership claims or conduct of users; the accuracy of reports, matches or map locations; the recovery, condition or return of an item; or the receipt of a reward. Moderation, friend acceptance and claim approval are not guarantees of safety or legitimacy. Verify claims independently, protect sensitive information and arrange exchanges safely. This is not an emergency service.

Rights that cannot be excluded

Nothing in this disclaimer excludes or limits liability or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. This includes liability for fraud, intentional misconduct, gross negligence, death or personal injury, or statutory consumer rights wherever applicable law prohibits such exclusion. Any unenforceable limitation applies only to the extent the law allows; mandatory legal protections remain unaffected.

Truthful reports and lawful use

Submit only genuine lost-and-found information you reasonably believe to be accurate. Do not impersonate another person, invent an item or ownership claim, misrepresent a location, disguise a commercial solicitation as a lost item, manipulate rewards, fabricate evidence, or create accounts to evade restrictions. Correct inaccurate information and close reports that are no longer relevant. You are responsible for complying with laws applicable to your conduct.

Illegal, dangerous and prohibited content

Do not use the service for theft, fraud, extortion, trafficking, harassment, stalking, threats, doxxing, exploitation, discriminatory abuse, illegal sales, or distribution of unlawful material. Do not publish sexual exploitation material, instructions to commit crimes, private identity documents, payment credentials, passwords, or other people’s sensitive personal information. Do not list dangerous or restricted goods for transfer. Contact appropriate local authorities about weapons, suspected stolen property, controlled substances, dangerous items or urgent safety concerns; do not arrange an unsafe exchange through this service.

Automation, bots and AI-assisted content

Do not use scripts, bots, automated accounts or AI systems to mass-register, flood listings, send unsolicited messages, manufacture claims, evade moderation or mislead users. AI assistance does not excuse false or unlawful content: the submitting user remains responsible for verifying facts and rights to the material. Authorized integration access must respect its permissions and limits. Do not bypass authentication, scrape private information or interfere with service availability.

Security and prohibited access

Do not attempt unauthorized access, credential stuffing, account takeover, injection, malicious uploads, exploitation, disruption, surveillance or circumvention of safeguards. Do not run active vulnerability scans or penetration tests without explicit written authorization from the operator and any affected hosting provider. If you discover a suspected vulnerability, stop accessing data, do not exploit it or publish personal information, and notify the operator through an available legitimate contact channel.

Automated checks and human review

The service uses limited rule-based checks, rate limits, verification, access restrictions and moderation tools. Repeated or suspicious new posts may be held for review even when general post approval is off. These signals can be wrong, may miss harmful conduct and do not establish that a person is a bot, that content is AI-generated, or that an offense occurred. No guarantee is made that all content is reviewed, lawful, accurate, authentic or safe. An administrator may restrict or remove content or accounts consistent with applicable law and policy. Users may explain a disputed restriction to the operator; do not create replacement accounts to evade it.

Ownership and exchanges

A listing, match, accepted claim, friend connection or moderator decision does not establish legal title or authority to possess or transfer property. Finders and claimants must independently verify ownership and follow local lost-property reporting and return obligations. Do not reveal all identifying details publicly. Meet in a safe public place when appropriate, do not travel alone into unsafe situations, and do not send money, codes or confidential documents merely because another user requests them. The platform does not take custody of items or supervise meetings.

Maps, location and personal information

Distances are approximate straight-line calculations, not directions, boundaries or a promise that an item exists at a pin. City and landmark data can be incomplete or wrong. Avoid exact home locations or information that identifies vulnerable people. Friends-only sharing limits future service access; it cannot stop recipients from saving, copying, photographing or redistributing content. Do not post anything you are not entitled to disclose.

Pictures, drawings and intellectual property

Upload only content you own or are authorized to use. Do not infringe copyright, trademarks, privacy, publicity or other rights. You retain ownership of your content and permit the service to store, format, display and process it as needed to provide the features and audience you choose, subject to applicable law and the Privacy notice. Removing metadata does not remove personal information visible in an image. External image links are controlled by their hosts and can change or disappear.

Payments and conditional rewards

Payment features may be disabled or unavailable. A displayed estimate is not a guaranteed reward, escrow deposit, investment or promise of recovery. A finder reward, where offered and properly funded, remains subject to confirmed return and the disclosed conditions, reconciliation, refunds, disputes, provider rules and applicable law. Do not assume a payment succeeded solely because a checkout page returned you to the site. Processing fees or lawful adjustments may apply as disclosed before payment. Mandatory refund and consumer rights are not waived. Never submit bank account, routing or card details to messages, reports or profile fields. No bank connection or automatic payout is provided in the current release.

Service availability and third parties

The service may be interrupted, changed or discontinued and may depend on hosting, internet access, app platforms, email, map and payment providers. Delays, lost messages, stale information and unavailable features can occur. Third-party links, labels or integration availability are not endorsements or guarantees. Those providers apply their own terms, privacy practices, fees and availability conditions. You are responsible for device security, connectivity and keeping your own necessary records.

Responsibility for misuse and disputes

You are responsible for your own unlawful acts, false statements, unauthorized disclosures and infringement. To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to be responsible for claims and reasonable losses caused by your unlawful misuse of the service or infringement of another person’s rights; this does not shift liability that the law places on the operator or require waiver of mandatory protections. Disputes about ownership, meetings, property condition or another user’s conduct may require independent resolution or appropriate authorities. The service cannot decide legal ownership or guarantee enforcement.

Children and vulnerable users

This service is not directed to children under 13. Do not create an account or submit a child’s personal information if you cannot lawfully do so. Minors must have any permission and supervision required by applicable law and should not arrange exchanges alone. Report concerning or exploitative content promptly; emergencies must be reported to the appropriate emergency service.

Changes, interpretation and legal rights

Updates will be identified by the date above. Material changes may require additional notice or consent where applicable law requires it; publication alone does not override those requirements. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions apply only to the lawful extent. No particular forum, arbitration waiver or governing-law choice is imposed by this notice. This notice is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not exclude rights or responsibilities that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Third-party websites and services have their own terms and policies. See our Privacy notice, Community rules and abuse reporting guide.