Chapter 5 – A Note About Living Anonymously
Preventing online identity theft really only requires a few simple changes to your everyday life. In other words, to stay safe, you do not have to go into the witness protection program. There is really no excuse, then, to not protect yourself and your finances from identity theft. Living anonymously, however, is a whole other story.
A person may want to live anonymously for a number of reasons. Some people are trying to prevent a certain someone from finding them. Others have identities that can really be used for evil if stolen (think secret service agents or the like). Maybe you simply like your privacy. In any case, living anonymously is by far the best way to stop identity theft. After all, “anonymous” means that you barely have an identity at all. To totally live beneath the radar, however, you need to make really big changes in your life. Not everyone can successfully do the following, but they are tips you should consider if you want to take your prevention measures, online and offline, to the next level.
An Alternative Identity
Alternative identities — it may seem like something right out of a James Bond movie, but in reality, using an alternative identity is very, very smart. It makes it more difficult to “see” you on paper, making it virtually impossible for something to steal your identity. Best of all, it is perfectly within your rights to take on an alternative identity, as long as you are not doing so with the intent to defraud a person, business, or government agency. You have the right to be whoever you want to be. People choose to live with alternative identities all the time. In addition to helping you avoid identity theft, an alternative identity can also help people leave behind abusive relationships, forget a past full of mistakes, avoid civil lawsuits, leave their families, and otherwise just disappear. While this can be extremely frustrating for someone trying to find you, it might be in your best interest.
The key to an alternative identity is to ensure that your real name and pretend name are never linked. Legally, you are allowed to create any kind of official-looking document you want to “confirm” your alternative name against, as long as you are not doing so with the intent to defraud anyone. For example, if you have decided to take on the identity of a retired doctor, you can create a fake license with your alternative name on it, print it off, and hang it in your office for anyone in your home to see — just do not try to practice medicine with it.
Some Fun: Celebrity Alternative Identities
One of the best uses of alternative identities is for celebrities. In fact, a good number of celebrities have a stage name and almost every celebrity in the world has given a fake name at a hotel at some point or another. That is the only real way to keep the paparazzi and crazy fans from infiltrating your travel and your family life (and even then it sometimes does not work).
Just for fun, can you guess the “celebrity” name of the following people? The answers can be found in Appendix 3.
1. Norman Cook
2. Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.
3. Erica Wright
4. Kong-Sang Chan
5. Brian Warner
6. Alissa Rosenbaum
7. Theodore Geisel
8. Robert Edward Turner III
9. Marion Michael Morrison
10. Robert Cummings
And how about this – can you name the real celebrity that has previously given these fake names at hotels and other places to avoid fans and photographers? The answers can be found in Appendix 4.
1. Miss Lollipop
2. Tinkerbell
3. Bella
4. Arnold Schwarzenegger
5. Sir William Marshal
6. Johnny Drama
7. Mr. Satan
8. Emma Roid
9. Sir Galahad
10. Bryce Pilaf
The bottom line? Using a fake name is not a crime, as long as you are not trying to outrun the law. Celebrities do it all the time, and there is no reason why you cannot do it too, in most cases!
Where You Can and Cannot Use an Alternative Name
The bottom line when using an alternative name is that you have to know the laws where you live. Having an alternative identification for protection purposes is not a crime. In fact, the government runs a program that helps people do just that. Every day, people in danger disappear using the Witness Protection Program. The key here? The government still knows who you are. Your newfound friends do not have to know your real name, but you should never try to fool the government. Doing so can — and will — end with you in jail or, at the very least, paying some hefty fines.
Most people volunteer personal information at the drop of a hat. Why do you have to use your name to register your computer, for example? What about when you sign up for an online e-mail account? Or, for example, when the girl at the coffee counter asks for your name to write it on your coffee cup, why do you have to tell her? There is nothing wrong with giving an alternative name. Think of it as a nickname.
Again, it depends on your state’s laws — but a good way to think about it is by asking yourself if the information is for official purposes of not. Few transactions on a daily basis are actually “official.” When you open a bank account, it is official business. When you apply for a mortgage, it is official business. When an officer pulls you over for speeding, it is official business. However, when your neighbor asks for your name and number so she can call you if there is ever a noise problem? That is not official business.
Anonymous Residences
The first step to living anonymously is finding a place to actually live. Your residence will be, in most cases, the one thing tied to your name, even if the name you give is an alternative one. People will associate your face with the place that you live. There is no getting around that.
What you can “get around” is being associated with bills, as well as accounts, in your name. You can also learn techniques for moving quickly and often, as well as the safest ways to stay out of the public eye. You may not be a celebrity, but that is what living anonymously is all about – the “public eye”. When the public does not know much about you, neither can identity thieves, or anyone trying to find you for that matter.
When it comes to place of residence, you have two main options: renting or owning. If you have the means, you can also choose to stay in a hotel, which is actually a form of renting when you think about it. Both renting and owning have their drawbacks, but consider both carefully to decide which one is right for you.
Staying in Hotels
Although it is definitely the most expensive option and does not make a lot of sense if you are trying to build a financial portfolio, staying in a hotel is probably the least intrusive way to live. You do not have to give your real name. You do not have to pay for utilities. However, it does mean that you have to pare down the possessions you own, since you will be moving often. For those who live a simple life, though, staying in hotels could work.
Your best bet for saving money and not raising suspicion is to look for extended stay suites. These suites are miniature apartments, and although they are more expensive than regular apartments, they come fully furnished and with all of the services you’ll find in a typical hotel room. Extended stay suites are commonly used by people who are in town on business for a month or more or for people who are just moving into an area and need time to hunt for a conventional place of residence. Why are you staying there? They should not ask and you should not have to answer that question.
When you get to the hotel, they will want to see identification, as well as have a card on file in case there are damages to the room. You are well within your rights to use a prepaid credit card that is held in your alternative name, as well as give a novelty ID with your alternative name and a picture. They will most likely make a photocopy of your ID, and you wouldn’t want to give them your driver’s license in this case.
In addition, the hotel will want to keep your vehicle information on record. Renting a car is a good idea to avoid this link to your real name, or you can register a car in the name of a trust. Having a trust fund set up and using this name when needed is an excellent way to avoid linking your name to your alternative name or your location.
For the most privacy, however, stay in a low-end motel – just do not expect the same services you would find at the Hilton. Low-end motels have many customers who rent just for a night and do not wish to be tracked, so some do not even require you to keep a card on file or to show identification.
Renting and Owning
If you do not want to be as mobile as someone living from a hotel, renting is your next best option. You can acquire more things than you can in a hotel room, and you do not have to deal with people coming into your room, as maids do in hotels. There are, of course, a number of disadvantages, but for more people wishing to live anonymously, renting works very well. It is much easier than owning and trying to live anonymously.
First, consider your length of stay. Most people living anonymously like to be able to move fairly quickly, which is only possible if you are renting. If you buy and own a property, you and your name are linked to it even if you move out of the area quickly. You have to sell the house, which requires you to stay linked to that property for a fairly long time. When renting, you will be able to find many lease options. Although the majority of landlords ask you to sign a one-year lease, you can find many who will agree to much shorter 3-month or 6-month leases. You can even find landlords willing to rent to you on a month-to-month basis.
Another major benefit is that all work that needs to be done and all ownership is in your landlord’s name, not in your name. If you own a house, you’ll have to pay quite a number of bills, including carpenters and other maintenance people, unless you are extremely handy and can do the work yourself. In addition, there will be no property taxes in your name. Property tax documents are places where it is illegal to give an alternative name, since you are dealing with the federal and state governments. Therefore, if you want to avoid that link to your name, renting is the way to go.
Furthermore, when renting, you do not have to deal with a mortgage. If you can afford to purchase a house in cash, that is wonderful. However, for most people, that is just a dream and a mortgage is necessary to purchase a piece of real estate. A mortgage is yet another tie to your name, and although you can use a trustee to sign for you, it is a much better option to simply forego the property ownership altogether. Not to mention that a mortgage will make it next to impossible to leave the area quickly if you feel like your identity has been compromised. Even if you do not financially need to sell your home to move on, you will still need to pay your mortgage.
Utilities
With utilities, you must have real name connected, because this information can be reported on your credit. That said, no one said that it has to be your name found on the utility bills. There are a number of ways to get around that fence.
First, look for an apartment that has utilities included. In many cases, you can find some that include the basics – gas, electric, water, sewer, and trash. You may even get lucky and find one that includes cable TV and Internet. This is most common in areas with high student populations. However, if these things are NOT included, talk to your landlord about including them. Find out how much cable and Internet will cost every month and then offer more if your landlord has it set up before you move in. For example, if it will cost $75 a month, offer your landlord an additional $100 to take care of it. Most will jump at the chance.
If this is not possible, you can use what is called a nominee to set up account on your behalf. A nominee is simply someone you trust and who trusts you and, if the case of living anonymously, should not be a close friend or relative. Look at this as a business interaction. The nominee sets up the account in his or her name and pays it, and you are responsible for paying him or her. Again, it is important that you trust one another and it is important that this person is not closely connected to you so that no links can be made.
Getting to Know the Neighbors
The biggest threat to living absolutely anywhere, whether you rent or whether you own, is getting to know your neighbors. Neighbors always have been and always will be nosy. If nothing else, you’ll have neighbors who are friendly and want to get to know you, which is where the problems really begin. In addition, your landlord will want to get to know you in many cases, which can create problems.
You can minimize problems with neighbors by choosing your neighborhood wisely. In an up-scale neighborhood, you will find nicer apartments. Landlords will want to run credit checks and will be adamant about having references. Your neighbors will also be more likely to want to know you, as they will want to make sure that the neighborhood will remain a good place to live. This kind of a neighborhood, although you’ll find nice housing, is probably not the best place to live.
On the other hand, a poorer neighborhood you will find an entirely new set of problems – the police. Crime is simply more common in poor neighborhoods, so it is likely that the police will patrol the area regularly. While your neighbors are more likely to keep to themselves, the police like to know exactly who moves into apartments in these areas. In fact, them may try to gather all sorts of information about you, even though you have done nothing wrong. This is also not the kind of neighborhood where you want to live in most cases.
The best neighborhood is somewhere in between. Look for a neighborhood that is off the beaten path but that has a large percentage of apartments for rent. These landlords know that there is a lot of competition, so they are more likely to forego the credit check. This is especially true if you find an area where many of the tenants are immigrants who have no credit to check. If you can pay in full, you are golden. These landlords are also most willing to agree to a month-to-month lease.
When interacting with neighbors, the key is to be the person everyone forgets lives there. Be cordial and friendly, but be private. You can be a good neighbor without offering to baby-sit kids for the girl across the street. Do not cause trouble – clear your sidewalks when it snows, pick up trash that is in your yard, and keep your house looking tidy. That way, no one has any reason to complain about you. At the same time, do not complain about anyone else. If neighbors are loud or unruly either learn to live with it or move. Do not call the police and have your name – even your alternative name – unnecessarily on a police report.
Keeping Your Communications Under Wraps
It is hard to survive without a telephone. Oh sure, you can do it. Millions of people around the world do not have a telephone in their home. However, in the United States, having a phone is your connection to all sorts of help when you need it. Even if you do not use your phone to chat with friends, you still need a phone to call 9-1-1, talk to creditors, and so forth. Without a phone number, some people will not even consider renting you a place to stay. They want to be able to contact you when they need to.
And then there is e-mail. Now, there are plenty of people who do not have the Internet. However, using e-mail is one of the fastest and easiest ways to contact others, since most businesses, at the very least, have an email address that is checked regularly.
In short, communication is important. Without it, we could not progress as a society. However, if you’re attempting to live as anonymously as possible, how do you keep your communication on the down low?
Your Telephone
The first, and easiest, thing you can do to keep your communication private is to un-list your telephone number. You are not legally required to keep your number listed in the phone book, and asking for it to be removed is a simple step that you can – and should – do right away.
Keep in mind, though, that unlisted phone numbers are not much more secure than listed ones. Just because it is not in the phone book does not mean it is not listed anywhere. If you have ever left a number so someone – anyone – can call you back, your phone number is no longer private. Say, for example, that you left your number with a potential apartment manager so that he or she could call you back about a unit for rent. Perhaps he or she then wrote it down along with a few other bits of information about you in order to run a preliminary credit check. That associates your name with a number in the credit reporting bureau’s database. From there, it is not hard for your number to find it is way online. The chain continues until your number is no longer private.
Identity thieves who really want to find you can also use a tried and true method – *69. Pressing *69 will give you the callback number if possible. If not, it connects you to an operator who is not supposed to give out your number. “Supposed to” is the key phrase here. A smooth-talking identity thief can, nine times out of ten, convince someone to give up your number. After all, what is it to them?
A better option than a landline is a stand-alone voicemail service. For just a small price every month, you can order a mailbox that is not connected to your name or phone number. This is a great way to ensure that people can reach you. You can then call back on a payphone, cell phone, etc. and not have to worry about your calls being traced to you.
Speaking of cell phones – how secure are they? Not very. However, there are some major benefits to getting a cell phone over getting a landline. First, realize the cell phone’s limitations. Your conversations are not secure, as the waves can be picked up by other people and their cell phones as well. Although this does not happen as often as it did in the past, it is still possible. Never give out secure information over the phone. Also, remember that to sign on with a traditional cell phone company, you have to give them lots of information, including your social security number, since you are opening an account. This is very dangerous.
Instead, opt for a prepaid cell phone, like those provided by TracFone. With these phones, which can be purchased by anyone, you do not have to provide any personal information. In fact, all you have to do is purchase the physical phone itself and activate it. If they ask for a name, you are more than welcome to give them your alternative name. Purchase a card with minutes at the store with cash, activate it, and you’re ready to make calls.
With any cell phone you choose, remember that criminals can trace it if you have it turned on. It is still in your best interest to have a voicemail service and to only turn on your cell phone if you need to make a call.
Your E-mail
If you are truly trying to live the totally private lifestyle, having an e-mail address at all is probably a bad idea. However, for many people this is not an option – an e-mail address is needed to contact others. Luckily, e-mail has come a long way in the past few years and is beginning to be more secure.
The least secure e-mail services are those that are free. You will get little customer support and some even sell the information to a third party, which means that you will instantly begin getting spam. These e-mail services are also easiest to hack into. However, paying for e-mail services is not much better. After all, that means that you have to link your credit card information to an e-mail account. This can also be very dangerous.
There are e-mail services that specifically work to keep you protected. HushMail (www.hushmail.com) is probably the most well-known service, but there are others as well, some of which are free and some of which are paid. Check out these options, and whatever e-mail you choose to use, pick a very good password and change it often.
Finances and Banking on the Down Low
If you have to do any kind of banking (and who does not have to do banking), you should take special measure to keep your information private, especially if you want to live as anonymously as possible. The best way to do this is a trust account.
Of course, it is possible to live without a bank account. You can very easily use money orders to pay for things or you can go to brick-and-mortar locations and pay in cash (as long as you get a receipt). For most people, though, this is not practical. So, trusts are the way to go.
Experts agree – a trust is the most private form of account you can open. This is due to the fact that there are few regulations saying what does and does not have to be listed in accordance with the trust.
Trusts work a bit differently with every single financial institution, so call around to learn about requirements before you show up in person to apply. Make sure that whatever trust name you choose, it is not even remotely related to your real name or even your alternative name. This trust name can then be used with a debit card and to pay bills.
You can also use a nominee in order to open bank accounts. However, in regards to identity theft, while this is a very private way to keep your account, it also puts you at risk because the nominee has complete legal control over your account. So, if your nominee takes everything, you have no case, even if you do take it to court. You have few rights, and even the most trusted person can be tempted to take large amounts of money. It is in your best interest to use a trust account instead of a nominee, since anyone you trust enough to be a nominee is probably too close to you to be effective and anyone not connected to you is probably someone you do not know well enough to trust.