The title of this article isn’t meant to be a how to guide, it’s more of a question of sorts. Probably like a lot of you, I’ve thought about how to disappear completely. Not that I ever want to do it, but you never know when it might come in handy in a survival situation. I’ve talked to a lot of people over the years about this and one thing I’ve learned from these conversations is that most people think they could disappear and never be found.
What got me to thinking about this is the Mobster that was in the news this past week. This guy was hiding in plain site in Idaho. He’d been wanted on a number of Federal charges, including allegations that he tried to kill his Mob boss. One thing that I was impressed with is that this guy managed to stay out of sight for 17 years before getting found. I was also impressed that he learned how to raise cattle. I imagine that was a big undertaking for someone from the Bronx. I don’t remember seeing too many cattle ranches there myself.
Anyhow, the Feds aren’t saying how they found this guy, but I have a pretty good idea. You see, him and his longtime girlfriend split up a few months ago and she went back to her family in Utah. Isn’t it ironic that a few months after ending a long term relationship that the Feds find this guy after 17 years? I’ll let you be the judge of that!
How NOT to disappear completely
My Wife have a running bet anytime we hear about someone escaping from jail or prison. Our first bet is how long it will take before they catch the person. The next bet we make is whether they’ll catch him at his Mothers house or at his Girlfriends/Wife’s house! Really, how many of these escaped convicts have you heard being caught at one or the others home?
If you’re trying to disappear and not be found, it’s a pretty good bet you need to stay away from your family and friends!
Another fine example of your family turning you in is Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. What’s that old saying that you can pick your friends but not your family? Again, best to stay away, especially if you have a big price on your head!
Now, if the escapee is really smart, they’re usually captured because their car was pulled over for speeding down the Interstate or other moving violation (no tags on the car, a light out, etc).
Now that we’ve covered what NOT to do if you want to disappear, let’s see what steps we might take in order to vanish from society.
How To Disappear Completely
Now I’ve always thought that there were certain things you must do in order to disappear completely. Here’s my thoughts on the subject.
- Destroy all credit/debit cards, checks and all other paper trails including your Social Security number, Drivers License and other paper trails. You can count on never having those things again. There trails leading right to your door.
- Say goodbye to your family and friends. All of them! You know the old saying, “Two can keep a secret if one’s dead‘. You don’t have to off your Family and Friends, but you do have to break all contact with them and never contact them again. This goes for your girlfriends/boyfriend or significant other. Hasta La Vista Baby!
- You must relocate someplace that isn’t the center of attention. This pretty much means staying out of the larger cities and seek out rural areas. Here’s my list of the best places to survive in America, but then again, they might look for you there now that I published this list!
- Cash only. No credit cards or debit cards. Don’t leave any type of paper trail for them to follow you. Remember also that you can kiss your Health insurance and any retirement goodbye, including any Social Security you might get in the future.
- Hide in plain site. Keep your mouth shut. No one likes a bragard, liar or know it all. If you fall into one of these categories, you’re probably living a lie and will slip up sooner or later. More than one person has been captured because they shot their big mouth off.
The Mobster mentioned at the first of the story did many things right. He paid cash for everything, pretty much kept his mouth shut, although according the the news stories he did let a few things slip over the years.
But he also did a few things wrong. He put his house and land in his girlfriends name. Big mistake in my opinion. Kinda getting a tattoo of her name on your arm. If things go South, she gets a house and land. You get a permanent reminder that you made two mistakes! He probably should have sold everything and hightailed it when she left and went back to Utah.
In Ted’s case, he should have never let his family know where he lived. You ever heard that Money is thicker than blood? Tis true in many cases.
Okay, I’m sure I probably left something out. After all, like I said, I’m not an expert. However, I did find this piece about how to disappear completely and never be found. Apparently the person who wrote that piece put a lot more thought into it than I did!
So share with the readers how you would go about disappearing. I’m sure there will be some good lessons discussed on how to disappear completely.
Chuck
Pretty interesting, but you did make a serious boo-boo. I once had an FBI friend that told me the easiest way to get picked off was to go to some rural area where people knew everyone back to the last two generations. He said in a mega city, no one knows anyone, and everyone is just another face in the crowd. If one truly has the funds to “pay cash” for everything, getting lost in downtown Dallas/Ft Worth or someplace is easy. Think about it
wildcatw11
I disagree with the hiding in a rural area. Im thinking it would be easier to blend in in a city of 3 million then in a town of 3,000. Plus a large city would offer more ways of earning an income under the radar as opposed to small town life. Just my thoughts.
Gene
Hmmm. I’d do all the above, except how do you get a job? You need your social security card right? You need to prove your not an illegal alien right? No wait! Mabye that’s the key, pretend you are an illegal alien…all is well!
Sam The Survivor
Gene, you don’t need an SS card to get a job. If you did, no illegal would be able to work. The trick is to find people willing to pay you “under the table”. Plus, there are numerous ways you can strike out on your own and earn cash.