Every “found money” has an unknown history, a mysterious present, and an unpredictable future. Imagine coming across a wad of cash on the street.
Here’s a red-pill-blue-pill dilemma– would you rather ignore it and go about your way pretending you saw nothing or pick up the money marred with risks?
A 25-year-old man encountered a similar situation while casually strolling on the street. But what he did not know was that the moment he opened the box, he was already involved in one of the deepest rabbit holes.
Adrian, a TikToker who goes by “@Adrian_Peru,” uploaded a video on September 26 where he is rummaging through a mysterious and dusty crate jar that he found accidentally. After he opened the lid, he found a wad of cash, a box of pills, a black folder that had more cash pasted on it with a clump of human hair, and a wallet full of cryptic notes. Adrian was spooked by the random things and decided to leave the contents as they were found.
The video quickly went viral, amassing 30 million views across all platforms. But with more engagement, the majority of the commentators warned Adrian about the possible threats of the paper route money.
Paper Route Money is a term for hidden stash, specifically used during drug dealings. According to a few TikTokers, this kind of money, also known as “Dead Drop,” is tainted with illegal practices. The secret location is only known to the people involved in the deal. This scenario also accounts for the high chance that an individual’s life might be at risk.
What Does ‘Paper Route Money’ Mean on TikTok?
Adrian Peru’s TikTok video sparked anxiety across the platform, with netizens quickly warning him to delete the video. His comments section was flocked with “paper route money,” which Adrian was unable to understand.
One of the items that Adrian found in the jar was a wallet brimming with instruction notes. One of the notes stated, “Call Hugh (Georgia),” which made the netizens believe that the note was either referring to a person named “Georgia” or their address in Georgia.
The notes also included a hand-drawn map and an account of names of who paid the money and who didn’t.
Besides this, another uncanny item was an unlabelled bottle of pills. These exhibits confirmed the suspicions that it was definitely paper route money.
As a result, the term was trending on TikTok, where people were trying to decipher the mystery behind the secret stash.
Meanwhile, police cleared any suspicions of Adrian Peru over his involvement in the found money. Although, it was eerie that they took his shoes for an undisclosed reason. Adrian said,
“Those are my work shoes, bro, I haven’t had those shoes for a whole day already, I don’t know if and when I’m getting them back.”
What Is Paper Route Money?
Paper route money is a contingency plan or a backup for drug-deal-gone-wrong. Usually, this hamper includes money (in cash to avoid any trace), contact details of the relevant person, and instructions on where to go next for shelter and to avoid the law.
It also implies that the people involved with this money are not someone to be messed with. It involves the risk of getting tracked and stalked by dangerous people. Hence, other TikTOk users warned Adrian not to associate himself with this anymore and ensure his safety.
What is your take on the unnerving video? Do you believe that the contents of the secret box are related to drug dealers?
Why do you think the police take Adrian’s shoes? Let us know in the comments section below.
