For both iOs and Android, the Find My Phone app says all lost phones are at one house in Atlanta, belonging to a couple who are not unfamiliar with the issue. In this day and age, it’s not at all safe to deal with someone who believes their smartphone was stolen. It’s their lifeline and, if you took it, things could potentially get really messy.

Michael Saba and Christina Lee have been taking the brunt of the technical issue with phone-tracking apps. For the past year, they have received several visits from angry owners demanding that their phones be returned to them. However, the couple was innocent in the matter, but it wouldn’t be like a guilty thief would admit to stealing it either. That turns matters into a potentially dangerous problem.

Find my Phone and Device Manager both share the problem

The confusion started in February, 2015, when the couple began getting knocks on their door by people searching for their phones. In one month, it occurred four times. All those who arrived claimed that their phone-tracking app has directed them to their house. Some arrived in groups of frantic owners, some even with the police.

According to Saba, they even became persons of interest in the case of a missing teenage girl. Her phone was tracked to their home, and they were forced out of it for one hour while the police searched for both the girl and her phone. Neither was found, in spite of the fact that the app tracked the device down. It becomes something difficult to clarify, and not all worried owners will take a polite explanation at face value.

It could lead matters to escalating. Saba claimed that his biggest fear is that someone more violent and dangerous will show up at their house. There is no telling what they would do, so they can only hope that the person behind their door will accept their explanation. This year has barely begun, and the couple already had two visits at their house.

Since there has been no solution found or help from government agencies, they plan on filing a complaint with their local senator and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Experts believe that there might be issues with the mobile tower triangulation, which the apps use. It could also be a problem with their WiFi router or simply bad data received from the third party app. Whichever the problem is, Saba underlined that this truly shows how unsafe and unreliable such technology can be. They have been getting visits at all hours during the day and night.

At one point, matters could escalate, which places them in danger. However, experts have not been able to offer them an explanation and a solution, so perhaps a ‘For Sale’ sign would be safer.

Image source: gohacking.com