I used to have a bad habit of letting my Blackberry fall out of my pocket in cabs. Cab drivers are usually pretty good about meeting up/dropping it off later though.
Stating the obvious, I would disconnect phone service right away or have them put a lock until further notice. Change the iCloud and apple account password immediately. Did she set passcode to lock the screen? If not, she should have done that. Sometimes it's bit too late until your phone is gone. I never store sensitive stuff on the phone or iClouds and always set a passcode just in case lose the phone.
Anything requiring access or Apple ID (not "apple account") requires a password verification, anyway.
While the person who forgot the phone was careless, if anyone picks up an item in a public place and chooses to keep it rather than make a concerted effort to return it (i.e. as simple as giving it to the customer service folks at the store), they have essentially stolen it.
one time i found a guys driver's license on the ground at the Toyota Center parking lot. I googled him. Found his office and left a message with his secretary. The man called me and was just floored I tracked him down. I told him I know how much it sucks to lose a license and have to go tithe DMV to get a new one.
True, if you want to get technical. However at the point of time the phone went MIA, the person misplaced and lost the phone. It wasn't taken from her possession while in her presence, which is what the thread title seemed to hint towards.
It should be "You're" instead of "your." Also, if it's a question, you need a question mark at the end of your sentence, sir.
I'm aware of this. They're called typos. And it wasn't a question. It should be "you're", not "You're".