A family friend had a usb key they wanted to get data off of that the computer couldn't recognize and it went badly.

The key had a loose part that was rattling in it so I opened the plastic and it didn't open nicely. When I opened it I couldn't find any chip inside just the rattling piece. They claim to have used it successfully in their house yesterday. Any idea what's going on? They say they don't have any other usb keys like it. Could the chip have gone flying when it opened? Are they confused or pulling my leg?