5 Internet Mysteries That Scared the World
- Who is the cryptic organization recruiting genius codebreakers via images of insects?
- Did a time traveler from 2036 really predict the future on a message board in 2000?
- What is the disturbing truth behind the “Blank Room Soup” video?
The internet was supposed to be a library of information. Instead, it became a breeding ground for ghosts. While most creepy stories online are fiction (Creepypastas), some mysteries bleed into reality, sparking global manhunts, FBI investigations, and genuine panic.
From complex puzzles that stumped the CIA to viral challenges that terrified parents, here are the 5 biggest internet mysteries that remain unsolved in 2026.
1. Cicada 3301
It started on January 4, 2012, with a simple image posted on 4chan: “We are looking for highly intelligent individuals.” Hidden within the image was a code. This led solvers on a global treasure hunt involving cryptography, ancient literature, and GPS coordinates in physical locations from Poland to Hawaii. The Washington Post called it “the most elaborate puzzle of the internet age.” To this day, no one knows who ran it—the CIA, a hacker group, or a cult? The winners were never heard from again.
2. John Titor (The Time Traveler)
In 2000, a user named “TimeTravel_0” appeared on forums claiming to be a soldier sent back from the year 2036. He posted detailed schematics of his time machine and made predictions about a US civil war and World War III. While his predictions didn’t come true on his timeline, his detailed knowledge of obscure IBM 5100 computer functions (which IBM engineers later confirmed were secret) keeps the legend alive. He vanished in 2001, claiming to return to the future.
3. The Momo Challenge
In 2018, the face of a bulging-eyed woman terrified the world. Reports spread that “Momo” was contacting children on WhatsApp, encouraging them to harm themselves. It caused a global moral panic. The Rolling Stone eventually exposed it mostly as a hoax fueled by media hysteria, but the image itself (a sculpture by Japanese artist Keisuke Aisawa) remains a symbol of how quickly fear spreads online.
4. Lake City Quiet Pills
This is arguably the darkest rabbit hole on Reddit. It began with the death of a user named “ReligionOfPeace” (Milo), who was rumored to be an elderly mercenary. Internet sleuths found a hidden website buried in the code of an image hosting site he used. The site, “Lake City Quiet Pills,” appeared to be a job board for assassins, logging massive parties and “jobs” across the globe. Just as the investigation heated up, the site vanished.
5. Blank Room Soup.avi
A low-quality video shows a man sitting in an empty room, eating soup with a giant wooden spoon. He is crying. Two figures in terrifying costumes emerge and pat him on the back. The video is disturbing, but the backstory makes it worse: rumors claim the costumes were stolen from a character creator months prior, and the man in the video was forced to eat soup made from his own family. While likely an art project, the actors and the victim have never come forward to explain it.
Explore More Shocktrail Mysteries
The web is deep and full of terrors. Navigate to our other archives:
| Urban Legends & Internet | Weird Science | Dark History |
|---|---|---|
| You Are Here: 5 Internet Mysteries | 10 Terrifying Future Techs | The Dyatlov Pass Incident |
| Coming Soon: Cursed Objects | The Hum: Mystery Sounds | 5 Lost Civilizations |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Was Cicada 3301 ever solved?
The puzzles were solved by a select few, but the “final reward” remains a mystery. Leaked emails suggest the winners were invited to develop privacy software, but the organization itself remains in the shadows.
Is the “Momo” image real?
The image is real—it is a photo of a sculpture called “Mother Bird” created by a special effects company in Japan. It had nothing to do with the challenge or harming children.
Did John Titor’s predictions come true?
No. He predicted a US Civil War beginning in 2004 and a nuclear war in 2015. Believers argue that his presence in our timeline altered our history, preventing those events from happening here.
