Recently, I witnessed a situation that unfolded almost like a crime drama—except it was entirely real. My aunt had left her iPad in a hotel room and called me in a panic, asking what she could do. I suggested using Apple’s “Find My” app to track its location.

To our surprise, the iPad wasn’t at the hotel at all. Instead, the app showed it somewhere else in the city.

The next morning, we approached the hotel manager. He insisted that nothing had been found in the room and gently suggested my aunt double-check her luggage; travelers often misplace their devices. But when we showed him the iPad’s location—clearly marked on the map at a residential address—his demeanor changed. He took down the address immediately.

A short time later, he called us back. The address belonged to one of the hotel’s cleaning staff. At first, she denied having the iPad. But when confronted with the tracking data, she eventually confessed and returned it.

The consequences were swift. She was fired from the cleaning company on the spot, and because her immigration status in the country was only “tolerated,” not officially recognized, she may now even face expulsion.