KOCHI: It’s just another day. While walking, you find a Rs 500 note neatly placed under a stone, or maybe on the bark of a tree. Seems strange? Perhaps, it could be the most bizarre way to earn money in the top cities in the state. Nowadays, money ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500 can be found at the least-expected locations, thanks to the ‘Cashhunt Challenge’.
For the last few days on Instagram, terms like ‘Cashed’ and ‘Cashhunt’ have been trending. In Kerala, the challenge is one of a kind. This fun game was initiated by the Instagram handle @cashhunt.kochi. An anonymous user posts videos of him hiding notes under a concrete slab, inside a matchbox which is then placed on a wall or anywhere on the beach.
After that, a glimpse of the landmark will also be revealed. Whoever gets the cash first has to mention ‘cashed’ under the post. The proof is then sent to the DM of the handle.
People, especially youngsters, now start their day, looking up for clues on the internet and rushing to the spot before someone cracks the code. Though it’s a relatively new challenge to the Malayalis, the trend has been going on for a while now in other countries. YouTuber Donaldson, popularly known as Mr Beast, holds eye-popping giveaways worth 1 million dollars. Sometimes he gifts money to those in need as well.
Cashhunt Kochi also hides voucher cards worth Rs 500. Due to the account’s raging popularity, several pages have begun to pop up from districts like Kozhikode, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Palakkad.
“It’s not one person who is handling the page, we are a group,” says an anonymous owner of @Cashhunt_Trivandrum.
“We started the page inspired by @cashhunt.kochi. Our motive has always been to help people. We would like to be of support for those in need. However, at this initial stage, we hide Rs 100, Rs 200 and Rs 500. We have plans to develop our page. Due to the rising popularity, we have started receiving requests to do promotions for social media pages also. After two days of starting this page, multiple handles of this sort have come up in Thiruvananthapuram.”
Several pages in the name of Cashhunt have been emerging on social media and no fraudulent cases have been reported so far. However, the police are closely monitoring the trend.