A Reddit user finds a USB stick on the train, dares to open it, but the contents disappoint

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A USB stick is lying on a train and the label invites you to copy its contents and pass them on. But what is found on it is disappointing on many levels.

What’s on the USB stick? You can find the solution to this below, but first it is interesting why the story is getting so much attention: Out of curiosity and concern, BagarDoge is looking for advice. He posted a picture of a USB stick on Reddit with the inscription “free to copy, then pass on”.

The Reddit community reacted en masse:

  • As of mid-July 2024, the number of upvotes is more than 20,000 and the number of comments is almost 4,000.

    • Also mysterious and at first glance rather uncomfortable are USB sticks that are walled up in walls waiting for users to connect their devices. We explain what’s behind it:

    There are over 400 USB sticks sticking out of walls in Germany – What is the “Dead Drops” project?

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    What are Reddit users writing? Under the post, in which, apart from asking for advice, also guesses about what might be on it, ideas – and suggestions – were collected:

  • It’s probably just someone’s mixtape. (User Careless-Tradition73)
  • I work in IT security and I’m fairly confident it’s a trap. I’ll pay you five dollars and shipping for it. (Difficult_Advice_720)
  • Probably just a Marketing gag. I think Nine Inch Nails did something similar about ten years ago. (User Falkenmond79)

    • Ultimately, however, all worries were generally justified, but in this case they turned out to be unnecessary. However, when the finder reported what he had found in a new Reddit post a short time later, disillusionment spread – but they also had ideas about what else should definitely be on the storage device. The finder himself described his emotional salad as follows:

    I am somehow disappointed, relieved and confused at the same time.

    A treasure chest with pitfalls

    What’s on the USB stick? Two folders contain all the contents of the USB stick. The first is called “History”, the second Videos.

  • History: This is a new version of the Bible in audio format, translated into a more modern language. It contains the New and Old Testaments. This is rounded off by a Readme file with unknown content.
  • Video: There are various clips in four subfolders, each named after a year. Examples of clips are: 100 Miracles in 100 Days, Emily is Baptized, The Joy of Healing, and Miracles in Valencia.

    • How do people react on Reddit? Aside from the disappointment, many people also came up with very similar ideas for the continuation of the story of this USB stick. To supplement the content, the finder should add specific literature:

    Put books about atheism on it and pass it on.

    thisguytruth, Reddit Should I just plug USB sticks into my devices?

    If something similar happens to you, don’t just plug a storage device into the first USB slot you find. If you decide to take a look, use a device that is as useless and empty as possible for you – that is, without any personal data. There should also be no internet or (Wi-Fi) LAN or other connection to any other electronic device – neither by cable, plug, nor wirelessly.

    What could happen if I connect a USB stick? The danger posed by unknown USB sticks is diverse and can take many different forms. For example:

  • Illegal content, by accessing it or at least copying it you are committing a criminal offense.
  • Simply disturbing content of every kind imaginable that you will never forget once you have seen it.
  • Viruses, Trojans, etc. that install themselves unnoticed.
  • A so-called USB killer that causes irreparable damage to your device through high-voltage pulses.

    • Our tip is therefore: keep your hands off unknown USB sticks, hard drives or other storage media! Only use data storage devices whose owners you know and/or can otherwise trust.

    Reddit is also full of strange stories from the world of computer hardware that can scare gamers. For example, we told you on MeinMMO about a user who reached for a screwdriver because of problems with his RTX 4090. In the end, the answer was found in exactly what he didn’t find there, because something fundamental had been forgotten in the factory.

    mmod-game