Can you disappear without a trace

This is because favorites and preferences often turn habitual, and anything that is habitual will form a pattern- patterns are easy to recognize.

If you frequent a particular chain of restaurants, coffee shops or anything else, stop doing that immediately, both while you are on the run and after you have settled into your new life elsewhere. For instance, if you always get a certain kind of drink at Starbucks you might decide it is okay to keep doing the same thing since millions of people visit Starbucks every single day. You are just a customer, right? But there are only a few Starbucks in the place you have fled to and if people who are pursuing you think to look there or are already close on your trail they might wait for you to pop up for your daily dose of sugary caffeine and intercept you at any one of them.

Vehicles are one element of life that is difficult to imagine going without, and it is true that you might well still require a set of wheels to make your escape and begin your new life. However, your current vehicle is very likely to be more of a liability than an asset under the circumstances. As you know, vehicles have a unique VIN number which identifies it and links it to you.

Same thing with their license plates. You might consider simply walking away from your vehicle and leaving it in your driveway or the parking lot, but it is possible to easily get rid of a vehicle entirely by leaving it in a bad part of a bad town with the keys in it.

The criminal element will take care of the rest, although you should know that there exists formal and informal agreements in certain criminal enterprises between law enforcement for information on just such an occasion. You might consider destroying the vehicle utterly via burning, burying or sinking it in a large body of water but doing so discreetly is often challenging and if the vehicle is discovered under such circumstances it is likely to intensify the efforts of pursuers owing to the implications of foul play against you.

There are certain characteristics innate to your being that investigators, particularly law enforcement, can use to positively identify you or place you as being present in a given location within a general time frame. Fingerprints are probably the most well known, but modern technology has given rise to the proliferation of facial recognition scanners and cameras that might be able to pick you out of a crowd with some reliability. Most insidious, your very DNA is cataloged for cross reference through any number of avenues, but most notably today is the rise in popularity of fantastically inaccurate ancestry and genealogy tracing services, little more than widespread DNA clearing houses accessible by law enforcement.

The discarded straw from the drink you purchased with cash at an out of the way gas station could conceivably betray you, for the fingerprints you leave on a glass at a cantina. Another point of contention on the subject of self-disappearance is whether or not one should attempt to actively decoy or subvert the efforts of those who would try to locate you. Proponents for decoying point to historical and anecdotal evidence that deception, dissuasion and generally sending pursuers on a wild goose chase is very likely to tire them out, waste resources and buy you time to operate more openly before a fix on your location is found or your trail is picked up.

Detractors state the opposite, naturally, that any effort to distract or otherwise flummox pursuers that is not executed with a high degree of fidelity is likely to have the the reverse and unintended effect, showing that you are trying to run and disappear with purpose and potentially even supplying those interested parties with information they can use to close the net around you.

For instance, mentioning to a neighbor or coworker offhandedly that you have been seriously considering a religious sabbatical here or there could be enough to diffuse major concerns and thus buy you time. Mentioning to friends or family that you are working toward an extended vacation in a remote part of the country or world in the near future is another worthwhile tack.

Supplement this with a few personal effects left strategically on computers or paper documents that will be found among your possessions can effectively sell the ruse.

When the time comes to make your exit, how you choose to travel will matter. In the absence of a ready-made alternate set of IDs being in your possession, this is a non-starter as any pursuers will be able to pick up your trail at least to your intermediate destination easily and quickly. So what is an escape artist to do, then? Carpooling, or hitchhiking, is one viable method for discreetly crossing from state to state, but if under the circumstances it is likely there will be a major press release on your disappearance this could easily jog the memory of the person you rode with, seeing them go to authorities with information.

Lastly, you might consider setting off on foot but this is extremely slow, and going state to state will be an arduous and risky task, to say nothing of traveling into another country on foot.

Ultimately, the best mode of travel for you will depend on what resources you can bring to bear on covering your tracks and how far away your destination is. A common mistake made by people who are trying to disappear is keeping everyone around them at a distance at all times, both physically and emotionally.

The creepy loner always lurking in the background or at an adjacent table will quickly attract attention and not the good kind. This can have the unintended effect of raising your profile, rather than lowering it. A far better solution is to be reasonably chummy with people in your new life, or at least pleasant, as this way lies disarmament of any suspicion. As they say, the best way to hide a zebra is among other zebras.

The trick is fully embracing and living your new identity, and part of that means having a well-rehearsed and fully fleshed out backstory that you can draw from. Naturally, this will mean you are telling lies by the score, but these lies must be so second-nature, so rehearsed and practiced that they might as well be real for you. This could be anything from questions like where you grew up, where you lived before you moved into the area, family and friends, interests and so forth.

This is a balancing act, and one you will have to adjust on the fly as you take the read of the room against your current situation. The following section contains many tactics, techniques, tips, tricks procedures and plans to help you give your old life, and the people looking for you, the slip. You should make use of any or all of them that you can with the understanding that not all of them are suitable for every event and every circumstance.

In the end, it is best to remain light, flexible and adaptable to changing situations. One of the most obvious things you must do to disappear is to leave town. When moving to a new town, you must familiarize yourself with its roads and alleys. You must have an escape route in case you have to make a quick getaway. The same goes with entering establishments. Know where the entry and exit points, especially the emergency exits. When trying to remove all traces of yourself, it is crucial that you get rid of all your belongings that can provide information about you.

These include photographs, journals, IDs, etc. Anything with your picture on it can be distributed if found by your pursuers so they can locate you faster. Documents that provide private information about you can give them a clue as to your whereabouts. If you want to disappear completely, then you must get rid of the old you and get yourself a new identity. There are ways to acquire all the necessary documentation to support your assertions if you know where to look.

If the opposition knows what you look like, then you better make some changes. You can dye your hair to a different color and change your hairstyle completely. Change your wardrobe to keep your new look from resembling your old self. In changing your look, blend in instead of standing out.

Stop posting selfies and pictures of your breakfast and passive aggressive digs at the people you work with. Then delete every account you have. Use the website Just Delete Me to find direct links to the account removal page for every service you use. And, before you finally go, delete your email accounts too.

Just Delete Me makes it a bit easier to erase your social media. True fact: you do not have to do anything to change your name, but start using a new name. You then present this form when applying for official documents. They could and to help you disappear should be complete strangers. A chap named Dan Q set up an easy to use service called Free Deed Poll to help you through the process. Your passport, driving license and national insurance numbers will all stay the same.

Changing your name is as far as you can go without breaking the law. This will be the toughest part. Anyone you stay in touch with is a connection back to your old life. All it takes is a check of phone records or an intercepted email to give you away. Of course, this advice may seem a bit drastic. Will you be able to walk away from your family and friends? Not even dear old Granny. Image from Wiki Commons. Start looking for somewhere to live. This is nothing new because for you to be able to learn how disappear completely, there must be a reevaluation of your old practices as a citizen.

Things might get complicated if an officer notices that your history is scarce because of an identity change. Avoid giving in to the temptation to make a quick buck by engaging in crime.

Stick to the book and keep a discipline in following the law. Moving out of a toxic situation can cost you all your savings. So, you might have to downgrade your lifestyle temporarily. After asking yourself how to disappear completely, you must then make sure you have enough money to start a new life. Relocating is the best way to completely gain independence and peace of mind. It will also help you to advance your career the best way possible.

This is the first step in planning how to disappear completely. When your savings are a bit thin, you can rent a small, decent apartment. Research or read a book about the place you are moving into, in order to avoid culture shock. Once you move in, you can install a security camera at the door or something to monitor security. Book keeping on extra incomes should also be observed here. Living in isolation can make you depressed.

One could not have thought of this when planning how to disappear completely. You can integrate with your newfound community by taking small steps. Be a kid and have an open mind when it comes to meeting new people, as this will help establish your new life.

Then, you can join a local gym and meet new people. Go to a karaoke and sing a wonderful song with new colleagues. Make sure to record these transactions. You can minimize these expenses by making a few adjustments. Book keeping can help you keep track of things like phone expenses and other bills as well as help you remember what billing accounts need to be changed to your new name.

You also may need to sell your new phone and find an old phone instead. Find a bicycle to take to work. Although it may be an odd idea when planning how to disappear completely, this would not only sever you from the paperwork of having a new car, but would also help you get used to a new way of life. Sometimes, you might not hit your monthly income target. This is nothing new, and you must know that it is okay. When you feel lonely, call one of your newfound friends to meet for coffee.

If you want to, join a band. Joining a band provides not only a group of friends but includes a sense of anonymity, since you will be absorbed into a dream group. Planning on disappearing completely and choosing a new life means that no one from your old life can get in contact with you.

If you are to start a new chapter of life, choosing a new name and destination would be a good place to start. How do you select an ideal country? Avoid countries that have a reputation of civil wars.

In addition, pick a country with a promising economy to increase your chances of getting a decent job. Language barriers can completely complicate your life in several ways. The excellent way to overcome language barriers is to listen to the music of the language you are aiming to learn.

Music and songs have this power to not only make our bodies move, but also establish similarities and highlight nuances in a language.

Listening to local songs on the radio can also help. You can completely avoid most of these issues by learning the new language in advance, a highly recommended practice to help you disappear completely. Spend two to three hours every single day learning the right pronunciations and contexts from article or book. Doing this will give you confidence to interact with the newfound people you meet, thus adding to your repertoire of knowledge in the art of disappearing completely.

Proper planning will help you minimize or even completely avoid stress due to insufficient cash. One way of implementing this is by narrowing down potential companies that are likely to hire you within a month of your arrival. Knowing how to disappear completely is one thing, sustaining your life after disappearing is another. You can start with multinational companies that operate in your city.

Pay a visit to their offices and inquire about overseas jobs. Also, make sure your new name appears on an academic certificates, birth certificate, phone contact information, and bank account information to enhance your credibility. Culture shock will occur at some point and may even force you to regret your choice to disappear.

You might feel uneasy about some cultures in your new country. For instance, a vegetarian might feel disgusted in a country where animals are slaughtered in public. This, although excruciating, is important to note in preparing on how to leave your old life and disappear completely. During this period, become social to help you ease the floating transition. Spend time traveling to familiarize yourself with the city or town.

You might experience loneliness and miss your old life during the first couple of months once you disappear. There are multiple steps involved with disappearing, and the more time spent preparing the better your chances. But, sometimes the choice to disappear is forced upon us in a rush, for which case this section has been broken up into two parts. You need to slowly start cutting ties to your old life. This means seeing friends and family less and less over time.

This venture requires you to fib, deflect, and mislead almost constantly for the rest of your life — until the lie becomes your new reality. You are a cash or crypto only person now, and you need to get ALL of your money out of the banks. Become unbanked or convert everything to cryptocurrencies. Over the course of several months start converting your fiat to cryptocurrencies and withdraw varying amounts of cash from all accounts under your name. When done you should have a fat stack of crypto on a hardware wallet and cash tucked away in a diversion safe , some closet or crawlspace.

They have databases of your past information that can be obtained by authorities. So say goodbye to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tinder, and even email accounts — it is wise to delete everything.

Or allow a friend or neighbor to adopt them under some other pretext. It is one of the many harsh realities of the Great Vanishing Act , but it is one you must accept. So make certain your employer thinks you quit or at least taking a nice long, much-needed vacation. Or start paying a couple of months in advance to buy time when you do leave. Tie up any and all loose ends you can think of to give yourself more time to travel and escape before the search is on. Whatever you choose to do with your IDs and personal documents is up to you, but once again, be thorough.

The process of eliminating photos and avoiding getting your picture taken also makes it clear to family and authorities that you wanted to disappear.

It may seem counterintuitive but trust me, it will work in your favor.