The legal and religious implications of the latest trend: urban treasure hunts
The legal and religious implications of the latest trend: urban treasure hunts
2024-10-31
Urban treasure hunts are the latest trend on social media. People are leaving small items like money or cinema tickets hidden in out-of-the-way spots on the street. They upload a video of the spot where the treasure is hidden to social media, then hide out to watch treasure hunters descend. It’s a trend that’s already made lots of fans. But some have asked whether there are hidden issues with the game. Could there be legal ramifications? And how does the game fit in with Taiwanese religious traditions, some of which put taboos on picking up money from the street? We spoke to a lawyer and a religious expert to learn more.
A NT$100 bill is folded into a love heart, then left in a traffic cone. Nobody is around, but the camera pans the location to give us some clues as to where it is.
Treasure hunter
I was wondering if it was fake or not. But I watched them a long time and saw people did find the treasures. So one time they posted a story, and I happened to be nearby, so I thought I’d go and take a look, and I found the treasure. That made me happy.
Instagram users post videos like this to start treasure hunts, hiding money for their followers to find. Then the user hides nearby to capture footage of the hunters looking.
Treasure hunter
When they’re planted the treasure, and uploaded the video, they hide far off, or in a vehicle, to secretly film the treasure hunters. Maybe it’s for the views or something.
These urban treasure hunts are littered with clues meant to help the hunters. But some ask whether picking up the hidden money could infringe laws relating to lost property.
Yang Meng-fan
Lawyer
The initiator of the hunt is expecting non-specific persons to come and pick up the items, whether Instagram followers or other people. But they’re expecting a non-specific number of people to go and pick up the money, so there wouldn’t be any kind of legal problem with it.
Okay, so legally it’s fine. But what about folk customs and religious taboos? Could there be any chance of accidentally crossing traditional boundaries?
Yang Teng-ko
Folk divination expert
The hiding of the money and its retrieval are only happening to increase views on the channel, or to have fun. There hasn’t been any magic done by a Taoist master, so it won’t cause any kind of “overabundance of luck” problem.
Treasure hunts, fine. But this expert in folk religion warns it’s different if you find a red packet on the street – steer clear in that case.
Yang Teng-ko
Folk divination expert
The saying goes, “Take someone’s money, solve their disaster.” It’s common, an “overabundance of luck.” A Taoist master will do some magic, and a talisman of sickness or calamity passes to the person who picked up the money. Another thing is that a random red packet could rope you into a “ghost marriage.”
But these urban treasure hunts are inviting the right person to come find them. Some treasures are money, others are cinema tickets, limited-edition signed cards and other fun items. Who knows when the treasure hunt will come to your neighborhood?
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尋寶撿現金! 侵占遺失物?被過運? 專家破解
2024-10-31
社群媒體上頭，最近有人發起城市尋寶遊戲，不定時會在個人IG，PO出藏寶影片，將寶藏放在特定地點，讓網友循線搜寶，但撿拾財物，是否可能涉及侵占遺失物罪，或是，是否有民俗禁忌，來看一下專家怎麼說?
手上百元，折成愛心，趁著四下無人，丟進三角錐，鏡頭帶一下四周環境，刻意留下線索。
[[尋寶民眾]]
“好奇說，是不是假的，觀望很久一陣子，看到說其實真的有人拿到，後來有一次他發限時，人也在附近，不然就去看看，結果是真的有(寶)，有拿到，也蠻開心的”
社群媒體IG上，有版主紛紛玩起藏寶活動，拍下藏錢影片，給追蹤的粉絲去找，然後再躲到一旁觀察，進行拍攝。
[[尋寶民眾]]
“他們每次放完(寶)，影片發上去之後，都會在遠處，或者在車子裡面，偷偷拍來尋寶的人，可能是為了流量之類”
城市尋寶，民眾按影片線索，找寶撿錢，但撿拾財物，是否可能涉及侵占遺失物罪。
[[律師 楊孟凡]]
“丟寶藏的人，他是期待有不特定人可以去撿，不管是他IG的追蹤粉絲，或者其他的人，有去找到寶藏，他是有期待不特定多數人，可以去撿到這筆錢，那就不會有任何法律上問題”
找寶藏撿錢，尋寶獵人，路邊撿錢，會不會不小心，踩到民間習俗禁忌紅線？
[[民俗命理專家 楊登嵙]]
“藏錢、找錢，這個單純只是要增加那個流量，或者是好玩的，因為沒有法師作法，那是沒有所謂過運問題”
而民俗專家也提醒，如果路邊驚見紅包，可就不能亂碰，亂撿!
[[民俗命理專家 楊登嵙]]
“拿人錢財，與人消災，這個常常就是過運的，會經由法師作法，然後把病符、死劫 ，經由撿的人過運給他，另外一種撿紅包是所謂冥婚的”
街頭藏寶，等待有緣人尋獲，不只有錢，還有電影票，限量簽名卡片等小物，城市搜寶，意外掀起熱潮，也成為話題。
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