HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY ERASE YOUR IDENTITY?

Every time we leave the house, cameras out on the street, in trains and buses, or at the office are watching. But there’s something we can do about it.

It’s as if you’d never existed: Your name cannot be found in any directory. None of your friends or family knows where you are or how to reach you, and even a lookup on search engines like Google returns zero hits. Professional private detectives are also puzzled; they keep running into a wall and are forced to admit: You have totally disappeared from the face of the Earth without a trace. But that’s impossible. Or is it?

Completely annihilating all traces of a person’s identity is an extremely challenging endeavor. Everywhere we go we leave our tracks behind: when we’re shopping, when we’re at work, when we’re on the phone or surfing the Web. Yet even today it is possible to disappear into thin air…

Frank M. Ahearn can make it possible for anyone to do this. The 50 year old is one of the top private detectives in the world. While working as a skip tracer he has found thousands of people who did not want to be found. Whether he’s tracking down someone for a woman with a cheating husband or for the Mafia or for any other type of client, he is able to locate anyone, even Monica Lewinsky after her affair with Bill Clinton no one eludes Frank Ahearn. In all, he has found more than 50,000 people but then he flipped the script: Now he uses his skills to help people eradicate their own identity.

HOW DO I OUTWIT A SKIP TRACER?

The amount of money it takes to totally vanish depends on a number of different factors. If you want the assistance of a professional, be prepared to shell out around $40,000. Frank Ahearn is worth such a sizable investment because he knows precisely what will drive even the most persistent of skip tracers to distraction. Since 2001 he’s helped more than 90 people disappear.

In every case, it seems as if the ground has swallowed the people who’d sought to disappear along with their former identities, which they have replaced with a new life. But Ahearn issues a warning: “Be absolutely sure that this is what you really want to do.” Completely wiping out your entire life is one of the most momentous decisions anyone can make. Doing this means you will never see your friends and relatives again. It requires enormous mental resilience and the ability to live entirely on your own. Together with iD, Ahearn has developed a plan to help anyone who is ready to make the first move. The 30 steps that follow show how a person can disappear without a trace and explain what sacrifices would have to be made in order to do so…

PREPARATORY PHASE:

HOW DO I ABANDON MY IDENTITY?

To erase a person from collective human memory takes time and money. At least three months should be allotted for this first phase. Note: Don’t try to create a new, false identity; disappear under your own name otherwise you are committing a crime and attracting a host of other pursuers such as the police. These 30 steps will enable you to disappear, but only if you have not broken any laws.

PREPARE A STASH

You are going to need a lot of money to disappear: It will take at least $10,000 to begin your new life, depending on where you decide to go. But don’t keep the money in a bank account; either maintain it in cash or distribute it across several different prepaid credit cards.

DELETE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Wipe out as much as you can. Even if some things can’t be completely removed once they’re posted: Every Facebook friend you drop makes it that much harder for pursuers.

PUT PEOPLE ON THE WRONG TRACK

“You should bury potential skip tracers under a mountain of fruitless busywork,” explains Ahearn. Confuse pursuers by creating email addresses with foreign domain extensions or use your existing credit card to buy guidebooks for the wrong countries.

GOOGLE SEARCHES AND GOOGLE ALERTS

Try to imagine how your pursuers might search for you. What does Google reveal about you, and how did the information get there? Delete everything you can and set a Google Alert for your name so you’ll be informed every time something about you appears on the Internet.

CLEAN OUT YOUR HOME

You will have to abandon your home, first destroying anything that could help your pursuers locate you. Medications, food, documents, shoes all of these reveal information about you.

EQUIP YOURSELF FOR THE JOURNEY

Focus on mobility: Get a big backpack, good walking shoes, and a sleeping bag. Disguised as a backpacker, you can quickly disappear and lie low in almost any town. Very important: Do not buy any equipment with a credit card.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT COUNTRY

Ahearn’s recommendation: “To make things difficult for your pursuers, find a place to live and work that meets three important criteria.”
1. The money you bring with you from your former country will not be taxed.
2. Everything you earn in the new country is subject to minimal taxation.
3. The laws and rules of business are favorable and make it possible for you to live and work there legally. Examples: Singapore, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Belize.

USE PUBLIC WIFI

If you need to search on the Internet, use wireless connections at libraries or cafés. If you use your own connection, searches can be tracked via your provider.

CANCEL ALL ACCOUNTS, CONTRACTS, AND SERVICES

Don’t leave behind any mobile phone or other contract data that may provide information about you. If possible, cancel your bank accounts and start paying for everything with cash or prepaid credit cards.

SLOWLY STOP SEEING YOUR FRIENDS

Withdraw from personal relationships. Cancel get-togethers and stop accepting new invitations. The less people miss you, the less likely they are to try to find you.

IMPLEMENTATION PHASE:

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

Implementing the plan you’ve laid out takes a lot of discipline and sacrifice. Much of it may seem impossible unless you are actually hiding a dark secret that haunts you and is likely to result in your pursuit. Be absolutely certain that you really want to give up your identity. Because from this point forward, there is no turning back.

PLAN YOUR ROUTE

Plan your disappearance precisely. Where do you want to go? (See step 7.) How are you going to get there? And where might your pursuers look for you? Include several route deviations.

BREAK OFF ALL CONTACT

Family members are a link to your old life, and so every instance of contact with them entails the danger that you’ll be recognized by others. By this phase of your disappearance, you’ll need to have severed every connection to your past.

LEAVE

Make sure you’re going to an area where no one knows you within a radius of at least 100 miles. Your chances of not being discovered rise significantly if you leave the country.

RETAIN YOUR IDENTITY

Keep your old IDs and passport. That may not seem logical at first, however fake documents and especially the people who sell them can create enormous problems for you.

DESTROY ALL PHOTOS AND PERSONAL ITEMS

Don’t take anything with you that could help someone locate you no photographs that could be used to identify you in your former life and no items that suggest what your personal interests might be. Particularly important: Destroy your computer and smartphone to prevent them from becoming a data gold mine for a skip tracer.

NEW-BEGINNING PHASE:

HOW TO START A NEW LIFE

Anyone who believes life can return to normal after disappearing is mistaken. If you really want to erase your identity permanently, you’ll have to observe the following steps for the rest of your life. To do so, you have to be willing to accept total self-abandonment.

WEAR HEADGEAR

Get used to wearing a hat or other head covering when you’re out and about. “Every time we leave the house, cameras out on the street, in trains and buses, or at the office are watching,” warns Ahearn.

AVOID EYE CONTACT

Studies show that we are particularly likely to remember a face if we have looked the person in the eye. So it is essential to avoid eye contact. When you change addresses, people who live in your former town and remember you can serve as important sources of information for your pursuers.

LIE

It’s not moral to lie, but let’s face it: If you want to remain undiscovered, you’re going to have to lie to protect yourself. But it shouldn’t weigh too heavily on your conscience, because your pursuers are inveterate liars themselves: “For a skip tracer, lying is one of the realities of the business,” says Ahearn.

DON’T BRING THE CAR

Do as much traveling as possible on foot or using public transportation. It makes you more flexible, spares you from needing to refuel, and involves no license plate number, vehicle registration, or other data that could identify you.

TAKE DETOURS

A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but the fastest and most direct route is also the most obvious. Plan detours and stay there for a few days.

ABC OF FORBIDDEN WEBSITES

Amazon, Blogger, Flickr, Google Talk, Instagram, LinkedIn, MySpace, Netflix, Picasa, Reddit RSS, StumbleUpon, Tinder, Tumblr, Twitter, Vimeo, WordPress, XING, and YouTube are among the biggest data collectors.

STAY ALERT

Even after reaching your goal, you cannot let down your guard. You have no idea who may be looking for you and how tenacious they may be. Always keep a close eye on your surroundings.

REMAIN ISOLATED

Are you tempted to start a new social life? Don’t even think about it! All social contacts carry with them a substantial risk of exposure.

ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B

Always consider the possibility that your cover could be blown at any time. If anyone recognizes you, you’ll need an exit strategy, for example a secret shelter somewhere.

CHANGE YOUR STYLE

Start wearing a different kind of clothing. Choose a style that would not be typical for you but one that is not too conspicuous. If you have always dressed in a neutral manner, consider adopting a more fashionable style.

PREPAY

Even after you have managed to successfully disappear, on no account should you sign a phone contract. Use a false name to buy prepaid phone cards.

NEVER SIGN A CONTRACT

No matter what you’re trying to do in your new life, always remember that the fewer people or companies you deal with, the better it is for you. Pay with cash, rent apartments from private landlords, and never use a realtor or other such service.

EARN A LIVING

It costs a lot of money to disappear, so sooner or later you’re going to have to work. Develop skills that will make it possible for you to take on odd jobs. Don’t work full time for any employer, and change jobs regularly.

ALTER YOUR HABITS

“Skip tracers are very interested in the personal habits of the people they’re seeking,” says Ahearn. So get rid of previous hobbies. Did you used to like going out for a steak? That’s over now. Abandon all your old habits, leaving nothing that reminds people of you.

CREATE THE PERFECT STORY OF YOUR PAST

You’ll find yourself in situations where you cannot avoid a conversation about your past. When that occurs, you’ll need to have a plausible life story at your disposal. The more details you are able to add to the story, the better. Continue refining it all the time, and memorize it so thoroughly that you can instantly recall it in any situation.