Has the TSA stopped putting that card in a checked bag when they hand search it?

I recently arrived on vacation to find only 1 of a pair of shoes which I thought I packed in my luggage. I blamed this on myself thinking it must be sitting where I packed the bag with some socks stuffed in it.

But it isn't. I also attributed the shifting of stuff in my suitcase to my poor packing + rough baggage handling. Now the only plausible explanation is that the bag was opened at some point and the shoe fell out.

Domestic flight ex-JFK on Delta FWIW...

My checked bag has been searched a bunch of times, and never, not once, has there ever been a note put in it. They do seem to like to keep locks, so I've stopped bothering with putting one on.

So far I haven't had anything go missing other than the locks, but my wife had an issue one time where they searched her bag. The TSA goon apparently repacked it so badly that when my wife retrieved her bag some of her clothing, including undergarments, was hanging out of the partially-zipped main compartment. Her's had a note in it.

I had to pretty much tear my bag apart to find the notice on my last one. I was surprised they didn't steal the beers that were in my bag. That and even more surprised they bottles did not break after the poor repacking job they did in JNU

and I pack VERY tightly so if they put the bag back I'd know it. Any possibility a baggage handler took it apart?

And what, stole one sneaker out of spite for not finding anything worth stealing?

All I know is that something I remembered packing is no longer in my house, wasn't in the suitcase when it arrived, and the contents in the suitcase had "shifted" quite a bit.

Oddly enough, I've rec'd TSA inspection notifications in the past.
Recently I flew from BWI to ATL. When I went to open my suitcase I noted it was locked, but when I opened it someone *elses* lock was laying on top of my clothing! No note. Just a strangers lock.

Someone else is opening their suitcase and thinking "Hmmmm, I thought I locked this thing??"

Likely that TSA had a search to see if they could find anything good

This is not uncommon. Someone at TSA is not being truthful.

We keep hearing that 'only' 5% of bags are opened. If 'only' 5% are opened, then why are there so many reports of people finding someone else's stuff in their bags?

The only way I can see this happening is if for some reason TSOs are opening multiple bags at the same time, right next to each other, and getting belongings from the bags commingled. There is no excuse for this happening, none, other than AWOL or incompetent management. Since all TSA managers will say they are competent, it means that management knows this happens and doesn't care.

Of course, that sloppy management does far more than jeopardize pax locks and belongings. It is the same AWOL lazy management who puts us all at risk by making it clear to baggage screeners that they are not under scrutiny and although theft claims might be addressed if they get out of hand, inserting contraband into luggage will go unnoticed.