When you are planning for your disappearance, you need to protect yourself against others observing you doing odd things. They might ask, “Why are you suddenly doing all these weekend markets?” or, “Why the sudden interest in walking every weekend and vacation?” Your answers should be as honest as possible. In the first case, you should reply something along the lines of, “I am saving for a roundthe-world cruise and need all the money I can muster.” In the second instance, you need only say that you want to get fit and walking in the great outdoors is your way of doing it. What you’re actually doing is laying down a pattern of misinformation and ideas that will get planted in the minds of your family, friends, and coworkers. The list of disinformation you can use is never ending, and every false alley will help you achieve your final goal.
However, when it comes to your immediate family—especially your spouse—you are going to have to be very careful about how you substantiate your actions and any money you spend. Why would you want to go on a world cruise without taking your family with you? Why would you go camping most free weekends on your own? Plus, you would never mention to your wife that the girl of your dreams is living in Thailand. The solution is to tailor your cover story to suit your individual situation: If you’re married with children, single, or in a long–term relationship, all will need a cover story that is 100 percent plausible. If you are single and living on your own, then you have few worries; if you are married or living with someone, anything you do out of the ordinary is going to cause suspicion.
Remember, you are going to do a few strange and impulsive things, so think about how you are going to answer your questions when asked why. Here are a few examples:
• I am learning Spanish!
Your answer to why could be any number of legitimate reasons: You live in a part of America where Spanish is widely spoken, you are thinking of taking your family to Peru on holiday to see Machu Picchu, or maybe your company is looking to move into the South American market.
If you can ski, you can always find work as a skiing instructor.
• I am going on a world cruise!
This is okay if you’re single, but if you’re married your family will be expecting to come along, too. Other excuses could be that you are going on a volunteering mission abroad for which you have to pay your own way. Your family is less likely to want to join you in some ghetto in South America.
Barry Davies
Going on a survival course is a great idea as you will learn a lot of very useful skills, especially if you intend to disappear as a hobo.
• I am going on a survival course; I fear that doomsday could be upon us!
If what we see on UK television is true, then lots of Americans believe and practice this—learning how to shoot, stockpiling food, etc. is the norm. It makes no matter if you’re married or not, as you can always invite your family to join you. If you are considering this as part of your disappearance plan, most likely the situation at home will be so bad they will not want anything to do with you anyway.
• I go away each weekend to learn how to sail!
I have always dreamed about one day sailing around the world. Again, you can invite your family to join you; chances are they will not be interested because you tell them the water is rough and they will get sea sick. If you learn the skill of sailing and continue to talk about your desire, when you disappear people will think you are simply accomplishing your dream.
• I have always wanted to marry a South American woman or man and have been looking on some dating websites!
This one is mainly for the single people thinking of disappearing and not one you should share with your wife or husband. You might build the cover story by actually renting a South American escort and having your friends see you.
My point is that all the reasons above can be explained away as a legitimate cover for your actions. You will need to be realistic, as there is no point in a married man of, say, fifty telling his wife that he intends to run off and join the French Foreign Legion. You will need to keep your cover story as accurate and truthful as possible. Build on it, but keep it factual and practical.
The first major problem you have is deciding whether you need a cover story or not. You may well already possess the required skills: you may already speak Spanish or Hindi or hold a sailing certificate that enables you to sail single–handedly around the world; you might be thirty-five years old and recently retired from the military. As part of your plan to disappear, you may need to make up a story that justifies your eventual disappearance. Nonetheless, in my humble opinion, if you can disappear without having to make up misinformation, you are better off avoiding it. The problem is that the more you say, the more you raise suspicion. In the end it will reveal that you planned to disappear in the first place. You may well choose just to carry on as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening until the day you go, and it will be only then that people will suddenly realize you have disappeared for no apparent reason.
On the other hand, disinformation does offer you a means of covering your actions should they be discovered, and it provides a legitimate reason for you learning new skills.
You are forty-eight years old and feel your age. You are married to a woman who drinks far too much and cheats on you whenever she meets someone new at a bar. Luckily, your only daughter has grown up, recently gotten married, and set up home with a great guy. You work all week for a large building company—a profession you have done since leaving high school, but your weekends are mainly spent alone as your wife is off visiting her sister (or so she says), and when she is home she is verbally abusive, with alcohol playing a major part.
The construction work in Abu Dhabi is never ending and employment opportunities are always extremely good.
You wake up one Saturday morning and see a program on the television about construction work in Abu Dhabi, during which there is mention of a shortage of skilled building managers. You realize that you could do that job standing on your head and wish you were there. Back at work on Monday morning, you discuss the television program with one of your colleagues and he tells you of a friend of his that went out to the Middle East as a building contractor and made a lot of money. The problem was he was gone so long his wife divorced him and took up with a local football player. For the rest of the day you dwell on the story—that could have been you. The seed is sown, and you develop a plan to disappear. For the next few weeks, you work on how you’re going to start a new life.
On one of the occasions when your wife is home and relatively sober, you breach the subject of you working overseas. You say that later in the year your company will possibly lay you off due to the decline in the local economy. What you are doing is instilling the fear of financial loss within her. Now your wife’s main focus will be on her home and your income. Almost immediately, you provide a solution and save the family home: you’re planning to work overseas in Abu Dhabi. You have around six months to prepare, in which time you must seek out a good Middle East employer and learn some Arabic. You will also need to seek a work permit, visa, and so on. In essence, you have to explain to your wife that you will be away for months at a time, and you hope she can cope with this. The fact that she will remain in her home and you will be earning good money, which she assumes you will be putting directly into your shared bank account, makes her extremely happy. The fact that you’re away in the Middle East working means she does not have to hide her infidelity—she is extremely supportive of your plan and even offers to visit you in Abu Dhabi from time to time.
For those who have never traveled and worry about going overseas, let me tell you Abu Dhabi City is one of richest in the world—it has great hotels, beaches, and bars.
Now you are free to plan your disappearance. You might as well learn Arabic (it’s easier than most languages) and do some research on the Internet to see what actual employment is available in Abu Dhabi. You talk to your colleagues about the idea and manage to get a couple contact names of guys already working out in the Middle East.
Now all this will work, and you may well get employment and earn a good salary. Your work contract may be for three years and extendable; you work hard, do an excellent job, and people like you. Now let’s stop and think: How much of your salary do you send home to America each month? All of it, or just enough to cover the mortgage, pay the utility bills, and keep your wife in alcohol? Remember, you do need to live in Abu Dhabi (the most vibrant city in the Middle East), and it’s not cheap. However, you have discovered that you can save around $1,500 per month and then there’s the terminal bonus of $15,000 over a period of three years. You could save a nest egg of close to $70,000.
Your infrequent visits home are not happy. Your wife, by this time, has almost had her latest boyfriend living in your home and sleeping in your bed. The first thing she asks is how long you’re staying, quickly followed by what happened to all the extra money you were supposed to earn. You explain that 30 percent of your salary is held in reserve and will be paid in a lump sum when the three year contract is up. It’s a lie, but she is not going to check.
Slowly but surely, each time you are home, you spend most of the time selling off old items you no longer need on eBay or at a local market. Items that are personally important to you are slowly put into storage, ready for shipment later. There are lots of storage companies that don’t ask questions, and any shipping agent will ship your goods to just about any place on earth; it will be just one more consignment and virtually untraceable.
When the time comes, just don’t bother coming home any more. Stop all the money transfers, and move to work in another country without telling anyone.
Author’s Note: While the sample cover story is made up, I would like to relate to you a real one that is similar. A close friend of mine, Alan, left the British military (SAS) and got a great job as bodyguard for the Saudi Arabian Oil Minister, Ahmed Zaki Yamani. The job was extremely well paid and, like a good husband, he sent all his money back home. One day, he arrived unexpectedly and found that his wife had moved in with her lover, a member of the Hereford Football Club. Finding this guy in his home, he confronted his wife who basically said take it or leave it. That night Alan had to sleep in a hotel. He also had a young fourteen-year-old son whom he loved very much, and it pained him to see his son unhappy.
The next day, he made arrangements to quit his highly paid bodyguard job, as he wanted to salvage his marriage for his son’s sake. The reply he got from Yamani was, “No one leaves my employment, but I understand your position and have made arrangements for you to look after my property in Switzerland.” Alan went to Switzerland and found the property, a beautiful place in Chermignon. The property was spacious, had several top-of-the-range sports cars, and a beautiful young Swiss girl as housekeeper. Alan took up Yamani’s offer and moved to Switzerland. Several weeks later, he turned up at his house in Hereford driving a Ferrari with the glamorous housekeeper sitting next to him. He collected his son and drove off into the sunset to start a new life.
Sheik Yamani
Disclaimer: Unless carried out as part of your professional trade, to go about in public carrying lock-picking tools, breaking into houses, or hacking someone’s mobile phone or computer is illegal. Mention of these skills here is solely in the context of techniques that have been used many times by others and that are freely available in the public domain. Also, some readers might construe the information written below as irresponsible. I would like to assure the reader that it took me two years to learn the very basics, and that was with constant practice and expert instruction. Moreover, if a person wishes to learn such skills, there are plenty of websites to show them how. Therefore, I take absolutely no responsibility for anyone learning or using the skills mentioned. Neither do I encourage you to break the laws in your country.
Most of these skills are handy, but they should be used within the context of purpose. Imagine you have become a drifter and one bitterly cold winter’s evening you stumble across a small summer home in the forest. Who could chastise you for breaking in and seeking warm, dry shelter? If you know how to pick a lock, it will save you from having to smash a window. Should you find yourself in such a situation, always leave the place in the same condition as you found it, and all will be well.
It makes no difference if you’re going to disappear to a foreign country and start a new life or simply become a drifter or hobo in your own. There are a number of skills that will help you a lot. You might believe that many of these skills are not necessary and you could be right, but believe me, they are all worth learning. The skills are all different and they are in no logical order.
You never know when you will need a few breaking and entering skills.
During my lifetime, I have broken into many houses, offices, and factories, all in the name of military and counter–terrorist operations. Many were in built up areas, but my advice to you would be to ignore homes in cities, towns, or villages. You may need to break into a remote home if you are disappearing as a hobo in order to get shelter, or steal food or clothing to keep you warm.
There were a few basic rules that I needed to apply, such as doing some reconnaissance before approaching the target home. For example, is there any washing on the line? If the answer is yes, then the home is occupied. Likewise, if you spot a home that has a wall or fence around it, simply put a small stone on the gateway in such a manner that if the gate is opened the stone will fall off. This way, over the next few days, you can detect if the property is in use or not.
If you want to make sure a home is unoccupied, ring the front door bell or knock aggressively (don’t rely on ringing the doorbell because it might not work). Make it a long and loud knock, just in case someone is sleeping in a rear bedroom. If someone should answer the door, you need to have a ready response. You might ask for a fictitious person or directions to a nearby town. If no one comes to the door after repeated knocks, you should proceed to the rear of the house and attempt the break-in.
Barry Davies
If you must smash a window to gain entry, always choose a small pane close to the window catch. Tape the glass beforehand to prevent injury and reduce noise.
Once you have entered, the first thing to do is make sure you have several quick escape routes. To do this, go to the front, rear, and any side door to make sure they are unlocked. If the doors are locked, open several windows wide enough to escape; be careful on a windy day, as doors can slam and cause unnecessary noise. Take what you need—food, clothing, cooking utensils, etc.—and leave. Do not trash the home or steal items to sell. Remember, you are not a thief; you are just looking to try to live (find food) or improve your situation (find shelter).
I have mentioned several times in this book the significance of learning a language, and I cannot stress its importance enough if you plan to disappear overseas. While English is the most widely spoken language in world, it ranks third in popularity to Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. The language you learn should be tailored to your country of destination once you have disappeared. For example, if you’re going down to South America, then Spanish would help you most, or if you were going to Asia you might decide to learn Malaysian (Bahasa Malaysia), as this is fairly compatible with Indonesian (both countries speak a lot of English).
By far, the best way to learn a foreign language is to visit the country and plunge yourself into its culture and language, but this is rarely possible. Today most people use computer software, such as Rosetta Stone (rosettastone.com), which is one of the better language learning systems. Additionally, there are many simple apps for your smart phone that will provide a great vocabulary.
Author’s Note: During my life, I have learned German, Norwegian, Spanish, Arabic, and some Malay. At the moment I am trying my lick with Mandarin Chinese. My German is still quite good, but you need to speak a language you learn constantly in order to be proficient. I have found that vocabulary is the key to quickly learning a language. Learn as many words as you can—forget about the grammar. If you know the words, the rest will fall into place—maybe not the right place, but enough for people to understand you.
Barry Davies
Banding tape is easily slipped inside most car windows or door frames.
Breaking into a car does not necessarily mean you’re going to steal it; you may want to break into your own car having lost or locked the keys inside. If you have lost your keys and need to drive to town to get a new set, then most vehicles can be started without an ignition key (apart from the very newest models that no longer require a key to start the engine). So if you are thinking of opening and hot-wiring your car, then I suggest you try the following if it is at least five years old.
Gaining access to your vehicle is fairly simple, and there are many ways of doing this. My favorite method that will work on most older models is to use a piece of banding tape, the kind you find holding large cartons together. You can find a one meter (three foot) length in most trash cans on industrial sites or commercial premises. You simply fold the tape in half and slide it into the top outer corner of the window (the weakest point). Next, use a sawing motion to pull it down close to the door lock and push one end of the tape forward so that it forms a bow. Hoop the bow over the door lock and pull using a backward and upwards force. Your car door should be open without having to smash a window.
Barry Davies
Pushing one side of the banding tape makes a hoop that fits over the door lock.
Some people will tell you that it is possible to open a car door by using a tennis ball. The idea is that you make a small hole in the tennis ball and set this close to the keyhole on the door lock. You then hit the tennis ball with force and the air will jump the lock open. I have tried this method about 50 times on a variety of cars and it has not worked for me.
Once inside, you will need to start your car. Look under the dash for two red wires (in older cars red was the standard color). If they are not present, look for two that make a matching pair. When you find them, cross them together and take off! A word of warning, some cars have a well-protected casing around the wheel column that you might have to remove first. The thing to remember is that there are lots of wires running down the steering column. The ones you need to cross are the two that are the same color. There are also other ways to start a car, such as using a wire from the battery’s positive terminal to the coil and jump-starting the engine that way. Alternatively, in an emergency where you need to start your car in a hurry, you could try putting a flat–head screwdriver into the key slot, twist to break the lock and start the car (works most times but not always), you will have to buy a new lock once you have it started.
The only thing you need to be aware of is the vehicle alarm, as most have one fitted. This will activate after a few seconds and will continue to run until the engine is started, so you might want to warn the neighbors. You will need to do some research—there are lots of Internet sites that show you how to get your car running if you have lost your keys.
Whether you are looking for food or planning on stealing someone’s identity in order to disappear under a different name—bins and dumpsters are a haven. If you’re looking for food, restaurants and larger homes should be at the top of your list. Check if it’s good enough to eat, and be on your way.
However, the main reason for learning garbology skills is to steal information on someone. To do this, you need to build up a file on the target person and gain as much information as possible about them. On the other hand, you might use your skills in garbology to protect yourself once you have left home for good.
Garbology simply means taking the trash or garbage from a household or business and examining it. It can prove to be a very good source of information, providing confirmation and relevant details about a target. The idea is to collect a target’s garbage discreetly and examine it at your leisure, making a detailed record of all items. The main advantage of garbology is that it is unobtrusive and almost always goes unnoticed. You will be surprised at the amount of information you can find.
Barry Davies
Garbology shows that this bin has both receipts and medication used by someone in the home.
Never throw anything into the garbage that can prove your identity or provide important information to others. Buy a steel bucket and make a burn bin. Simply burn all your unsolicited mail, unwanted bank statements, etc. before disposal. Only put discarded food in the garbage bin, and take bottles to the bottle bank. If you think you are being watched, discreetly place your garbage in someone else’s bin. Never throw away any statements that have address correction slips attached, as a person can request a new card be sent to a different address, and they may already have a signature from discarded credit card receipts.
If you want to search someone’s trash, watch and observe the best time to collect the target’s garbage. Garbage disposal systems vary from town to town and country to country, but the final pick up by the garbage collector is normally inevitable. Watch and make a note of the garbage truck’s date and time of arrival at the target’s premises. Check to see if the garbage container is for individual use or multiple households. In many countries, the individual must take their garbage to a shared container; in this case you must establish the target’s habit for taking out their garbage.
The hours of darkness are best to collect the garbage for searching. However, if a daylight pick up is required, dress accordingly—such a hobo—and carry a plastic bag. Remember to wear a pair of rubber gloves, as some bins can be unhygienic.
Lay out the garbage contents on a large plastic sheet and discard all useless items, such as food waste. However, always keep notes as to the type of food being consumed, i.e. fast food or expensive food. Next, check each individual item and make notes on each. For example:
Count the number of cigarette butts and identify the brand.
• Count the number of alcohol bottles or cans. Identify the type and brand.
• Set aside all correspondence, including papers such as telephone bills and bank statements, for detailed examination later.
• Photograph any items that might be of interest, such as discarded clothing, magazines, computer disks, and empty nonfood packaging.
• Carry out an in-depth examination of all correspondence and paper products.
• Write down your observations and conclusions for each separate garbage pick up. You should carry out at least four separate pick ups within the period of a month in order to make a minimum assessment.
• Record any important discoveries you think may be of immediate interest.
The outcome from a good garbology probe over several weeks can be very revealing. The information gathered should be properly documented with a list of attributes added to the target’s file. Some examples:
• Correct name and address (all correspondence).
• Personal finances, including the name of the bank and account number (statements).
• Credit card usage (statements).
• Target’s signature (discarded credit card receipts).
• Telephone numbers, especially repetitive numbers (itemized telephone bills).
• Email addresses (letter or discarded printed email).
• Work or employment address (pay slips).
• The amount of cigarettes smoked (cigarette butts).
• The amount of alcohol consumed (amount of bottles and cans).
• Known toiletries (discarded bathroom waste).
• Rough weekly expenditure (total of consumed items’ original costs).
The list of clear and precise information that can be obtained through garbology is endless, but it needs to be done in a methodical way and there are some things that will need to be taken into account. One factor to consider is how many people are being catered for at the target’s premises. If the target lives alone, this is not a problem. However, one quick way of determining household numbers is by carrying out a clothesline assessment.
Dogs are a real pain in the butt when it comes to breaking into other people’s houses or premises. Unlike an alarm system, they have teeth and speed. Should you find yourself being threatened by a dog, your smartest move is to back off. First off, its bark will alert any neighbors, and if you do gain access to the home, the dog will most probably attack you.
Should you ever find yourself being chased by an angry dog, see if it’s possible to find a corner of a building or a tree to hide behind. The dog will have to slow down or stop in order to confront you. This is your moment. Kick or hit the dog once it is stationary; no matter how large it is, any normal human can defeat a dog. It’s only fear that stops you. If it has a collar, grab and twist to cut off the dog’s air supply, and lift it into the air at the same time. Hitting a dog hard on the back of their spine will cause a lot of damage. I have also found that a charging dog can be distracted by simply charging directly towards it; put your arms out wide and scream at the top of your voice as if you were the attacker. Dogs are not stupid and will shy from a larger animal if they think it will harm them.
Barry Davies
The clothesline is a wealth of information when it comes to identifying how many people live in a house and their gender.
Access to someone’s computer can reveal a lot about a person and, with luck, can supply you with a list of passwords (most people keep one on their computer). There are so many Internet sites explaining how to do this, and one good starting place is http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000806.htm.
How often have you found one of your old mobile phones but have forgotten the password? Not to worry, once again there are lots of Internet sites that will show you how to hack a mobile phone password. As there are so many different makes and models, I have simply chosen a common one: the iPhone 4. The latest software update (from when this work was written), iOS 6.1, appears to weak, as it lets you carry out the following:
youtube.com/watch?v=-uCZWiUdfv0.
Most locks that have been manufactured over the past twenty years are of the pin tumbler type. In its basic form, it is a simple locking device. A series of small pins fits into the inner barrel of a cylinder. The pins are split in the middle, normally at different lengths, and are forced into recesses within the inner barrel by a small spring. If the correct key is inserted, the different sized pins are brought into line where their split meets the outer casing of the inner barrel. This allows the inner barrel to turn freely within the casing, thus releasing the lock.
Barry Davies
Lock picking is a great skill to learn.
Any method of aligning the pins in this manner and turning the inner barrel will open the lock. This can be achieved by racking and picking the pins.
The tools for such work are not normally available in most countries, but it is fairly easy to manufacture homemade ones from a set of mechanic’s feeler gauges. Two basic bits are required: a lock pick, or rake, and a tension bar. The pick is a flat strip of hardened metal that has its end shaped to fit into the lock and advance the pins on their small springs to the required depth. The tension bar is a simple flat strip of metal, inserted into the mouth of the barrel to employ a minute amount of tension. This process helps to seat the pins and turn the barrel.
Author’s Note: There are many different types and designs of lock picking tools, and they all have different functions. I would suggest that the two mentioned are sufficient.
Raking is the quickest method of opening a lock as it is fast and easily done, providing the pins are not mushroom shaped, which are top heavy and can bind the lock. The lock should be clean and free from any grit or dirt; blowing hard into the lock before attempting to open it is a good idea. Raking is simply a matter of inserting the pick to the rear of the pins and swiftly snapping the pick outward, running the tip over the pins in the process.
Prior to doing this, the tension bar is inserted into the bottom of the keyway and a slight pressure is applied on the lock’s inner barrel. The tension should be applied in the unlock direction and should be just enough to turn the barrel once the pins are seated, but not so strong as to bind the pins against the barrel. It is this single “feel” that is the basis of all good lock picking. If the tension is too heavy, the top pins will bind and the sear line will not allow the breaking point to meet. If tension is too weak, the pins will simply fall back into the locked position.
When raking a lock, it will be necessary to repeat the operation several times. If the barrel does not turn by the fourth time, hold the tension in place with the tool. Place your ear to the lock and slowly release the tension; you will hear the pitting sound as the pins fall back into place. Try to count the pits, as this will give you an indication of how close you are to opening the lock and whether you need to individually seat some of the pins.
Seating individual pins is similar to raking, but requires a lot more skill. Staring at the back of the lock, feel for the rearmost pin and gently push it up. The barrel should move a minute fraction. Working towards the end of the lock seat, do the same for each pin in turn until the barrel is released. Experience has taught me that a combination of one swift rake followed by individual pin picking is sometimes the best answer.
Once you have disappeared, if you have valid reasons to believe a skip tracer could track you down, you will need to take precautions. If you think you are being followed, one way to throw any tail off your back is to have a rapid change of identity. This is also a good ploy if you have gotten into trouble and want to avoid recognition. People always describe troublemakers by the color of their skin and what they are wearing. There is very little you can do about changing your racial origin, but there is a lot you can do about your appearance.
Buy outer clothes that are reversible, providing a distinct color change. Carry a baseball cap, tie, or plastic raincoat in your pocket. Walk into a pub or any place that is heavily populated, change as you move through the crowd, and leave at another exit. If you were smoking a cigarette when you entered, discard it before you leave. Keep a folded shopping bag in your pocket, and carry this into the pub, but leave without it.
Barry Davies
A baseball cap and a set of sunglasses make for a quick face change.
One way to lose a foot tail is during the rush hour on public transport. Catch a bus or train and always sit (or stand) close to the door. When you get on, see who follows. Stay on for a long time and see if any of them get off, or watch the timing of the doors. You can usually predict the exact moment the doors will close and then you can make a dash for it.
There are many different ways to openly preplan your disappearance and have a good cover story to justify it. For example, you might say you are traveling around the world; after six months only your close family and friends will worry why no one has heard from you. If your last port of call was in South America, you could have been kidnapped, or even killed, and your body never found. If you traveled to Australia, you might have become lost out in the bush. Chances are your body will never be found.
You may have told everyone that you plan to join the French Foreign Legion and might actually do it for a few years, or you have volunteered to join a NGO and travel to Africa to help underprivileged refugees. Any one of these excuses is viable, and you can disappear when you are ready.
Building your cover story requires serious attention to detail, as you will provide family, friends, and work colleagues a fabrication of lies. Make sure that the cover story that aids your disappearance is one that raises no suspicion. Hone and develop the skills you think are appropriate for your disappearance. If you intend to go overseas, learn the language. If your new life requires you to be hobo, make sure you know how to keep warm in the winter.