How To Completely Disappear From The Radar, Lose Your Identity And Leave Everything Behind: Do You Have What It Takes?

If your life is going to hell fast for some reason or another if you feel that those close to you might have it better without having you around, or if you simply feel like starting fresh in someone else’s skin, you might just be able to do it. Disappear completely; it becomes harder to do each passing day (because of the ever-growing technological advances), but it’s still possible. Achieving a complete disappearance will not be easy and it may come at great costs. You’ll just need to plan your steps carefully, in advance, erase any tracks and records of you soon-to-be former self and create a new identity.

Lose Your Identity

As I said before: it’s no walk in the park. The average American is regularly found in 200+ databases, ever watched by the 30 million cameras from all across the state. So the ultimate “magic” act will require MONTHS of thorough preparation. But be advised: they may be dire legal consequences to your Houdini stunt! If caught, you will be held responsible if you disappear simply to escape debts or substantiate insurance claims. You’ll be charged with FRAUD and you’ll be going to jail. If you’re found by an organized search party, you’ll have to manage the costs of the rescue mission eventually.

However, there are many other reasons for wanting to disappear. Perhaps you had a stalker and don’t want another one. Or perhaps you are just sick of the lack of privacy and prying into your life.

The first thing to consider when staging your own disappearance is the fact that going alone increases your chances of success. Another person increasingly endangers the operation, especially a child. Children are less likely to play their part and, in the eyes of the Law, disappearing with a child under the wrong circumstances is considered kidnapping (even child endangerment in some cases). Make sure your reasons for evaporating in thin air are good and there’s no other alternative. Things will be though if along the lines you’ll have to face authorities (the police, immigration officers, detectives etc.) because these are professionals that look for people for a living – with a budget! In some cases, even running away from family members or friends might prove difficult, because some people will spare no expense in order to find the ones they lost.

Faking your own kidnapping is the wrong approach. Even a false lead might cost you. Just make it as if you’ve vanished into thin air. Firstly, delete as many pictures of you as you can! Even the ones in the possession of those close to you (if you can access them). This will make it harder for them to inquire about you on the streets; makes for less pictures on walls, fences, poles and milk cartons. Abandon your car in a bad neighborhood or on a side road, with the keys in the ignition, some gas in the tank and all the papers of ownership in the glove box and watch nature take its course: the majestic urban thief will pounce on its prey faster than lightning! If it some point you get another car, make sure it’s nothing like what you’d normally get, so you don’t arouse suspicion. Once you leave, don’t take anything dear with you. Even something as insignificant as your favorite shoelaces might give you away.

Make no mention of your plans, especially on social media sites. Most of them keep records. And make sure you delete all your social media accounts too but don’t do it suddenly. Keep a low profile for months in advance your disappearance, so nothing attracts attention when you accounts get deleted. Stay away from technological gizmos as much as possible. Laptops and mobile phones can easily be hacked. Your location could be given away by GPS. You can even be monitored in real time thanks to the cameras or microphones on your mobile devices. The Ditto and OnStar systems are highly used in the US for just such occasions. Typing is not safer either. You type patterns can be easily traceable by the ECHELON program, which monitors text messages based on preset keywords. When you’re finally ready to step out the door, do so calmly, alerting nobody with your actions. Hide your nervousness and if engaged in conversation, keep cool and just explain you’re going out for air or to the store.

Delete all reminders of your former self, including membership cards, coupons, especially credit cards. Cut them up into tiny pieces and burn them. Don’t use the credit cards, as it makes your position available in no time; rely on cache from now on. Make sure you have enough on you and stash it properly. Flashing large amounts of money in the wrong places might get you worse than found: dead. Traveling by means of transport is the way to go! The train, the bus or the bike don’t require you to carry a driver’s license or anything else that might give you away. Besides, in public transport, you travel “in packs”, which makes you less conspicuous and less likely to stand out. Flying in this case, it’s almost impossible, as purchasing a plane ticket requires a lot of personal data and information. You could use fake IDs, but there’s always a high risk of getting caught. Don’t resort to them unless you have no other choice.

Get used to lying, because that’s what you’ll be doing for the rest of your life from now on. If you’re a bad liar, you won’t be getting anywhere! Cut your ties easily and as inconspicuously as possible with those around you. Be mentally prepared for the fact that you’re never going to hear from them again. If you don’t intend on cutting the ties forever, make sure to contact them from public computers that have pre-registered accounts or public pay-phones. Deception is the key! Be as deceptive as possible. Before unleashing your “evil plan” create false leads. Make sure you’ve “corrected” your personal details in the listings of companies you worked with at one point or another and book flights or reservations you never mean to honor in the first place. This will confuse those who will track you and will throw them off your back.

When it comes to fake identities, who says you have to stick to just one? You can create many aliases for yourself; this will make you even more untraceable. It’s good you have hard cash on you, but that eventually wears off and there’s only so much you can carry on you. If you have the means, create a small company or steady source of income based on a false identity and maintain your access to it. It shouldn’t be anything big, as great financial the alarm, getting unwanted attention. It’s best not to steal someone else’s identity, as it can backfire. Unbeknownst to you, you might try to clear a plane ticket using the social security number of a deceased person… and it won’t end well.

As far as equipment goes, never pack more then you need. Keep a large enough backpack to store provisions, some clothes, a pocket knife, a compass, a map and everything else that can potentially increase your chances of survival in harsh conditions. Before leaving buy a new backpack, don’t use the one you have. You might be identified because of it. If your destination is another country, research, and plan in advance. Look thoroughly into visa conditions and government regulations for where you’re heading. Some countries are cheaper to live in for long periods of time, but to keep it legal you’ll need an ID to obtain residency. If you’re not leaving your country, make sure you leave in an area you’re not tied to in any way or you have never visited before. It’s best that nobody knows you in a 100-mile radius and never revisit old places.

Once you’re gone, make sure you reinvent yourself. Just because you haven’t been found for a while, doesn’t mean you can stop being cautious about it. Change your way of moving. If you used to walk slowly before, pick up your pace, or vice versa. Buy and dress in opposition to who and what you used to be. Always wear the clothes you’d never normally wear. Your appearance must never be eye-catching. Keep yourself nice and simple by staying away from fancy haircuts or bright hair colors. Eat as diversely as possible and while indoors (clubs, restaurants, hotels) make sure to wear a hat or sunglasses in order to protect your face from the surveillance cameras. Always clean up before leaving a motel or a hotel room; leave it as if you were never there. Wear protective hands gear when you must and make sure you leave no fingerprints behind you.

Disappearing completely from the radar is no easy task. Is not for the feign hearted or for the homesick. Keep in mind you’re not leaving behind the bad, but also the good. So when the bush comes to shove… Will you have what it takes?

My Family Survival Plan