Hey there,

Nope - I've done nothing illegal. Just looking for a place to quietly dissapear. I'm young-ish (early 30's) - and am nosing around for a place to fade into. I've got some Ideas about SE Asia (where I've been). But just curious about other locations - anyone got any tips? advice?

Thanks.

If you leave the country "disappearing" may be more difficult than you imagine. When that earthquake happened recently the family of one of our fellow mongers got freaked out about him maybe being caught in a 2nd tsunami or something. His family got in touch with the US Dept of State, and somehow they knew about all his comings and goings from country to country. I'm guessing when you enter a country and they scan your passport, that info gets recorded somewhere, and the State Dept apparently has access to it.

But unless you're using credit cards or such, I doubt they have any way of knowing where you are within the country.

First thing to do is simple, go change your name to something very generic, like Joe Smith and don't tell anyone.

If you search around on the web you'll come across a site that exists to support a book someone has written on disappearing legally.

The focus is on doing so inside the US, which is probably a net benefit for you since so much consumer data is collected here.

Essentially, they talk about transferring all your assets to a LLC, what states have the best laws for this kind of thing, where you can find an agent who will support you, etc.

Their focus is on disappearing from email and junk mail lists, phone lists, etc. But I suspect it's also workable as a kind of DIY witness protection program.

Dem Stealthy Gnomes

More information as to what you want to do (and perhaps why) would be most helpful.

If you want to go somewhere where no one will find you, go to Indonesia. With thousands of islands and hundreds of different peoples, that place is gigantic. You can catch a cargo boat to places unknown and stay there for quite some time on less than ten clams a day. Sure, the feds (or whomever) may know you're in Indonesia, but w h e r e? The only down side is the visa requirement (30 days). You may be able to get a long-term one, but I don't really know.

Another possibility is Camden, New Jersey.

Maudit -

Depends who you want to disappear from. Do you want to disappear from Uncle Sam, the mob, family/friends, etc.? How badly will "someone" look for you once they notice that you are gone? How quickly do you want to "disappear"?

Depending upon how much of a dot you want to become, and how quickly, will dictate what you must do.

If you are a white guy, I'd think you'd stick-out like a sore thumb in Asia. Why not consider Latin or South America where generations of "white" people have and do live? Then you can practice the language and eventually "blend in".

To disappear slowly, but effectively from most everyone:

1. Liquidate as much as you can...sell everything. You'll need about $50K - $200K in cash, but realize...once you are a dot, you will live a meager life with little perks until you are re-established where you can work once again.
2. Sell all property and move to a cheap apartment away from anyone who knows you.
3. Change your name to a very common name with no middle initial (if you can).
4. Spread your money among three or four major financial institutions.
5. Get a new passport.
6. Locate a third world country as your stepping-off point...such as Costa Rica or Panama.
7. Learn what is required to "retire" in your stepping-off point. Panama requires $200K deposit in the bank, in country, among other things. Or marry a local...not hard to do with a little grease.
8. Break your lease; transfer $200K into the stepping-off country bank, if required for "retiree" status, or get married and move to your stepping-off location.
9. At your stepping-off location, rent an apartment, complete necessary paperwork to reside in the stepping-off point as a retiree, or newly wed.
10. Withdraw remaining cash from your US financial institutions using ATM machines so nothing remains in the US. Shred all Ccards and anything that can track you electronically.
11. Charter private small airplane or boat (no major carriers who maintain electronic records) to the location where you wish to "disappear" (third world)...look around for a place to reside...ideally a private home with a room to lease in a fair sized city...something good...yet cheap and private.
12. This step can be tricky...you need to find a place that will store your money via secure lock-box that does not create an electronic account/signature in your name...could be a bus station suitcase lock-box, a hotel lock box, or other secure storage facility...make necessary arrangements...grease palms if necessary.
13. Return to your stepping-off point. Break your lease, and withdraw all of your cash from your stepping-off point bank. Don't forget to get a divorce after your money is in your pocket.
14. Charter another plane or boat into your new 3rd world location with everything you own.
15. Move-in to your new location...put your money in safe keeping and withdraw only enough to pay the rent, eat, etc. Do not open any type of account in your name that can be traced.
16. Find/hire a local woman to marry you so you can have permanent residency. Get a job. Apply to become a citizen.
17. Once granted citizenship...get divorced.
18. Legally change your name again and get a new passport.
19. Move to another city away from your new temp ex.
19. Start the process all over again, if necessary.

Also, change your appearance as necessary to blend in...learn to speak the local language. Never divulge to anyone your past life or lives.

Note - If you already are a felon with a record you may find it difficult to get in to certain countries. Also, I am not sure if a felon can legally change his name.

This plan is not perfect...nothing short of dying and being reborn can totally hide your past. But laying low for 7 years or more can burry a lot of history.

Alec

My plan would be to die in Mexico.

I figure it would take less than 50K. Then "oops" they cremated your body by mistake. Any fingerprint records got lost. And they don't keep tissue samples in Mexico. (Actually they don't normally even do an autopsy if the cause of death is obvious.)

Curious -

I'm "curious" how you re-enter civilization after you fake your death? Unless you've got a ton of gold buried somewhere, I assume you will need to earn a living. Kind of hard to make real money when you cannot produce any identification.

Though the 20 steps I outlined may take a few years to accomplish...it should work to launder your identity sufficiently that if someone were electronically searching for you, the thread would run-out at your stepping-off point. Also, once you made your leap, there is no limit how many times you can leap...possibly you could leap right back to your starting point...provided you can endure having an American woman marry you so you can immigrate to the States. But finger-prints are a risk, and the INS will electronically record them...if you've had your finger-prints recorded before...you could be discovered. Probably not worth it if you've gone through the hassle to disappear from here in the first place.

AlecJamer

identiy coyotes are all over. depends on the quality of new id you want. just ask around in mexico. for all countries im sure have them. in mex it appears to be a lil easier....

Most of the above looks right. Some countries have banking privacy laws where it is illegal for anyone to give account info out even to the government. I believe Costa Rica is still that way. Also, you might want to check out http://escapefromamerica.com/ for more info.

One word: Research!

Research all the people you can find who publish "I can help you disappear, like I did." Study the methods they used. And don't do that!

Like criminals, the successful ones are going to be the ones you never hear about.