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Time of India

QR code in red envelope leads to 'invite-only' Instagram page: What we know so far

On May 19, Monday, Instagram user Sohail Shaikh, going by the handle @imsohail_d, posted a video featuring a man aboard a flight reportedly flying from Delhi to Dubai breaking into a mid-air rap, with the lyrics featuring phrases such as 'Red envelope is a mystery … where elite minds create history' to 'Learn, learn, learn how to make your money dance', directing audiences to an Instagram handle: @ . ET Special Since then, similar posts have reportedly appeared across social media platforms, specifically Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), with #RedEnvelopeSociety even trending on X on May 20. ET Special Today, in yet another such instance, a passenger vlogging on a Bengaluru-Qatar flight reportedly found a velvety red envelope — sealed with a gold insignia — tucked into her seat pocket in front of her. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. The passenger, Nirja Parekh, who runs a video blog and was flying for a vacation, opened the envelope to find a QR code and a printed cryptic message that read: 'In the next two hours, you can sleep, read, watch movies... but your money doesn't do any of this! Wanna know how the elite make their money work? Your invitation expires upon landing!' ET Special Meanwhile, messages such as 'Learn how the elite make their money work' have prompted some users to draw a possible connection between the red envelope and money — questioning whether it points to financial advice or methods on how to earn money online. So far, no such direct linkage has been established. Live Events The passenger's video of finding the envelope soon surfaced on social media — specifically on Instagram. The post's caption, 'A red envelope placed in our seats… no explanation, no logo. Just a feeling that something BIG is about to happen ... Who are they? Why me? What's this red envelope website?', hints at the user being perplexed, while anticipating a potential 'big' reveal. The QR code reportedly leads to the @ Instagram handle — which has grown to over 200,000 followers as of 22 May, 2025. Until now, the account — described in its bio as 'an invite-only network of elites' — has made eight posts. Each post features the said red envelope alongside vague and undecipherable captions, including pinned messages such as: 'Cannot be bought or earned. Only chosen!' While no verifiable claim has been made, the envelope's message — hinting at methods used by the wealthy — has led some to interpret it as a potential teaser for tips on how to become rich fast. ET Special The page appears to be functioning like an interactive treasure hunt. As of now, there's no information on who manages this unverified account. No entity has claimed responsibility. R elated incidents This is not an isolated incident. From flight seat pockets to airport lounges, the red envelope has been sighted in multiple instances. While no official source has claimed ownership, the red envelope itself — often velvety and sealed with a gold insignia — is becoming a recognisable object, as evidenced in the following social media posts. For instance, Instagram user Sejal Purwar (@ anchor_sejal ) also posted the video of the man wearing a light blue shirt paired with a vest and tie, seen performing a cryptic rap onboard a Delhi to Dubai commercial flight. Users Annie Rastogi (@ avril_ame , Prasana and Chandni (@ thevellaacouple ), Shlok Saxena (@ ), and others, too, posted this mid-air rap video. ET Special Another video reportedly showed women in red satin dresses distributing similar red envelopes in airport lounges. An Instagram user, Vaibhav Parashar (@vaibhavv_28), posted a video on Instagram on 20th May. In the video, the user opens a red envelope to find a QR, only for it to 'vanish' quickly. ET Special In a separate video , posted by user @welcometoshubhamsworld, a man is said to have torn up and ingested a red envelope when approached by airport authorities. ET Special L ooking ahead As these incidents continue to be reported from across airports and social media, questions remain. Who is behind the @ handle? What is the objective — awareness, a new trend, or community-building? So far, there's no indication that the red envelope digital trail is linked to the stock market, financial platforms, or investment firms. Watch this space as we continue to track this unfolding story.