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Can you disappear and still function in society? This man is trying.

Accepted submission by RandomFactor at 2019-04-04 18:32:13 from the but did he send a swab to FamilyTreeDNA dept.
Security

In 2017, Jameson Lopp, who works in Bitcoin security decided to try, and has largely succeeded [nytimes.com] in becoming invisible.

Mr. Lopp viewed the exercise as something of an experiment, to find out the lengths he’d have to go to extricate himself from the databases and other repositories that hold our personal information and make it available to anyone willing to pay for it. That helps explain why he was willing to describe the steps he’s taken with me (though he did so from a burner phone, without disclosing his new location).

Lopp outlined the 15 steps he went through to accomplish this in some detail with clarifying information and explanatory notes.

1. Create a new corporate identity.
2. Set up new bank accounts and payment cards.
3. Carry cash.
4. Get a new phone number.
5. Stop using the phone for directions.
6. Move.
7. Make up a fake name for casual interactions.
8. Create a V.P.N. for home internet use.
9. Buy a boring car.
10. Buy a decoy house to fool the D.M.V.
11. Set up a private mailbox and remailing service.
12. Master the art of disguise.
13. Work remotely.
14. Encrypt devices when traveling remotely.
15. Hire private investigators to check your work.

Overall Jameson indicates it took about $30k to disappear.

If you are thinking $30k is a bargain, be aware this cost him in both time and ongoing inconvenience. Also if you have a family in the mix you can likely write it off completely.


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