Disappearing Practice

Level 1: Don’t Let Ordinary People Find You

Most people have a short attention span. Someone might look for you for a few days or a month, but if they can’t find you, they’ll lose interest and move on. To keep such people at a distance, you don’t have to give up online communication entirely. Just tweak your habits a bit:

• Websites: Don’t list your address or phone number on any websites you visit.
• Email Addresses: Don’t share your personal email address. Set up filters so all public correspondence goes to a separate inbox from your private messages.
• Third Parties: Use a buffer (like an assistant or intermediary) instead of communicating directly with persistent clients or operators. This way, people can only reach you if you’ve agreed to it in advance.
• Social Networks: Increase your privacy settings. Most social networks let you filter out strangers, report unwanted behavior, or make your profile private. Use these features.
• Phones: Don’t answer calls from unknown or hidden numbers. Consider using apps like Kaspersky Who Calls or Yandex Phone/Yandex Search with caller ID features.

Level 2: Don’t Let Even Persistent People Find You

We’ve all experienced something like this: you meet someone at a bar, exchange numbers, and suddenly they’re calling you in the middle of the night. A work email with a colleague turns personal. You get threatening messages because of a political blog post. When harmless communication turns unwanted or threatening, take extra precautions:

• Websites: Remove all contact information, including email addresses, mailing addresses, and phone numbers.
• Social Networks: Delete your accounts entirely or set the strictest privacy settings. Depending on the platform, others may not be able to see, follow, or message you.
• Phones: Block calls and messages from people you don’t want to communicate with.
• Get Help: If threats continue, contact the police.

Level 3: Practical Disappearance

This is where things get tough. It’s one thing to lay low, but another to erase almost all traces of your online presence. If you haven’t been planning your disappearance for years, it’s impossible to erase every trace. If you decide to disappear today, you have a lot to do. Start by making a plan:

• Make sure you have enough cash to get where you need to go and survive there for a while.
• Throw friends and loved ones off your trail. If anyone knows your location, your chances of being found increase. You can:
  • Post misleading updates on social media;
  • Leave a message to mislead pursuers;
  • Book tickets for a trip you don’t intend to take.
• Tell everyone you want to move to one place, then go somewhere else.

After that, you’ll need to stay hidden:

• Websites: Don’t register any websites in your name or your company’s name.
• Property: Don’t own property. You can have it registered to someone else, but there’s always a risk you’ll be found.
• Credit Cards: Don’t use credit or debit cards. Many data brokers get your info from card transactions, including names and addresses. Electronic verification systems confirm every transaction you make, from Visa to E-ZPass. You’ll have to use cash only.
• Driver’s License: Don’t get a driver’s license. Any ID must be officially registered.
• Vehicles: Don’t own a vehicle due to registration requirements. You’ll need to walk or bike. Beware of surveillance cameras. If you use public transport (train, subway, bus), others may see you or you could end up in someone’s vacation photo. A baseball cap pulled low will be your best friend.
• Work: You won’t be able to get a regular job, at least not officially.
• Social Networks: Delete all your accounts. All of them.
• Change Your Name: You’ll need to use a new name or alias—informally, not legally. If you change your name legally, you’ll be exposed. Using a fake name on legal documents is illegal. You’re not breaking the law unless you’re committing fraud or scamming people under a false name.
• Change Your Appearance: If you’re a redhead, become a brunette. Grow a beard. Shave your head. Lose or gain weight. Wear cheap clothes instead of designer brands. The more you change your appearance, the longer you’ll stay hidden.
• Develop New Habits: People tend to frequent the same places, making them easy to find. Time to pick up a new hobby!
• Never Let Your Guard Down: Always think about where you’re leaving fingerprints or DNA. Avoid touching things unnecessarily. Be prepared to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder.

Level 4: Completely Off the Radar

It’s almost impossible to disappear completely, especially if you want any kind of social life. If you don’t constantly follow the rules from Level 3, you’ll eventually slip up and be found.

In the end, if you want to disappear for good, you have two options:

1. Become a kept man or woman. At first, this might seem like an exciting adventure, but you’ll basically be living like a homeless person, without any documents. Plus, if you live with someone else, there’s always a chance they’ll talk about you. It’s better to live alone.
2. Leave the country. If you leave Russia, you’ll be much harder to find—but are you ready for that? If you’re thinking about hiding abroad, make sure you know the visa and residency requirements, as well as the laws and rules of your destination country.