Conspiracy-Ridden Notes Found In Food Packages, PA Parks

PENNSYLVANIA — A series of bizarre, conspiracy-riddled notes have been discovered in food packages and parks across Pennsylvania, leaving many wondering who is behind the notes and what they mean.

The messages, dubbed the “Schuylkill Notes” by amateur web investigators, have been found in recent years tucked into cereal boxes and pinned to trees in state parks, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report.

While mostly indecipherable, some of the notes contain coded sentences mentioning secret societies, Nazis, and names including Bill Gates and Oprah, according to reports and posts on the Reddit group r/schuylkillnotes.

According to the Inquirer, the notes were initially found in Schuylkill and surrounding counties. Others have been found in Huntingdon and Lycoming counties. One Reddit user also created a map containing dozens of locations where notes were found.

One person discovered a note in a box of Belvita biscuits at a store in Luzerne County, the Coal Region Canary reported. Two others reported finding notes in boxes of Milk Duds and Hot Tamales.

“Super creepy and sad to see so many people receiving these,” one reader told the Canary.

In December, a Luzerne County man found one of the notes in a box of Lucky Charm’s cereal.

“It just bothers me, the note really it’s the note that really bothers me. These notes are found inside food like kids food,” Joe Miller told WBRE.

Zachary Zimmerman was hiking in Swatara State Park in Lebanon County when he discovered a handful of notes attached to trees and wrapped around stones, the Inquirer reported.

“I picked it up and read it and it really doesn’t make any sense to me,” Zimmerman told the publication.

Last year, the Coal Region Canary analyzed one of the messages using ChatGPT.

“This message appears to reference various ideas often associated with secretive societies and symbol interpretation. It seems to argue that secret societies (abbreviated as “SS”) are orchestrating world events and are linked with multiple institutions and symbols across society, ranging from corporations, educational organizations, to religious groups. The societies are implicated in everything from riots to terrorism,” ChatGPT’s analysis read.

When contacted by the Inquirer, an FBI spokesperson could not confirm or deny an investigation into the notes.

According to the FDA, tampering with food products is a federal crime. A spokesperson said the agency is aware of the notes, the Inquirer reported.