If you’re a fugitive, avoiding capture by the authorities is crucial.
To stay ahead and avoid arrest, you need an effective strategy, often involving a new identity.
It’s challenging to stay on the run and avoid capture. Dedication and the willingness to sever ties with family, friends, and your previous life are essential. A new identity can help, but evading capture is not guaranteed. Let’s delve deeper into strategies and provide real-life examples of those who have attempted to evade the law.
You must be highly skilled and consistent to avoid ending up like Benjamin Quinn, who was caught in Bethlehem, Connecticut, after ten years on the run.
How to Evade the Law Without Being Caught
This guide is not meant to encourage illegal activity but to highlight what fugitives often do to evade capture.
1. Distance Yourself from Family
Separating from family is difficult but necessary. Authorities will prioritize questioning your relatives and close friends. Avoid seeking refuge with them as it increases the risk of being tracked.
Case Study: Eric Rudolph
Eric Rudolph, the 1996 Olympic Park bomber, successfully evaded the FBI for over five years. He lived in the Appalachian wilderness, completely cutting off contact with his family. His ability to survive off the land and avoid electronic communications helped him stay hidden.
Rudolph sustained himself by scavenging and living in makeshift campsites. This example illustrates the importance of physical endurance and survival skills when attempting to remain undetected in remote areas.
2. Avoid Cities
Cities are not ideal for hiding. Investigators use widespread video surveillance, including facial recognition, to track movements. Toll roads and bridges also employ advanced tracking technology, capturing license plates and other identifiers.
Case Study: Whitey Bulger
James “Whitey” Bulger, a notorious Boston mobster, managed to hide in plain sight in a Santa Monica apartment for 16 years. Despite being in a city, he maintained a low profile, avoided drawing attention, and paid everything in cash.
Bulger’s ability to blend into his surroundings and maintain a routine that didn’t arouse suspicion was crucial to his long period of evasion. However, his eventual capture highlights the persistent nature of law enforcement investigations.
3. Use Only Cash
Using electronic payment methods can expose your identity. Cash transactions are safer. For example, if you need to rent a home or open a bank account, you’ll need to forge identification documents. This minimizes the risk of exposing your true identity.
Case Study: Edward Snowden
While not a traditional fugitive, Edward Snowden‘s flight from the U.S. government involved meticulous planning. He avoided using credit cards and electronic transactions to prevent tracking.
Snowden’s use of cash and careful management of his digital footprint helped him evade capture. Snowden’s journey involved multiple countries and complex legal maneuvering, showcasing the challenges and intricacies of international evasion.
4. Erase Digital Footprints
Abandoning phones and computers is crucial as they can compromise your identity. Even smart devices in your home can leave digital trails that investigators might use to locate you. If discarding technology isn’t an option, use a VPN and cover your computer’s webcam to reduce your digital footprint.
Case Study: Ross Ulbricht
Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road, tried to maintain anonymity online using Tor and Bitcoin. Despite these efforts, he was eventually tracked down due to mistakes like using his real name in early communications and being linked to an email address tied to his identity.
Ulbricht’s case emphasizes the importance of consistency in maintaining anonymity and the potential pitfalls of digital footprints.
5. Quit Social Media
Staying off social media or never using your real identity is essential. Avoid appearing in photos, as they can contain data that reveals your location. Delete or suspend existing accounts to prevent any accidental exposure.
Case Study: Kim Dotcom
Kim Dotcom, the founder of Megaupload, was highly active on social media, partly contributing to his arrest. Authorities used his online presence to track his movements and gather evidence. In contrast, staying entirely off social media minimizes the digital trail.
Dotcom’s high profile and frequent online activity made it easier for authorities to monitor his actions, illustrating the risks of maintaining an online presence while on the run.
6. Avoid Public Transportation
Public transportation can lead to arrest. Law enforcement distributes your picture to train stations, airports, and bus terminals. Travelling in your own or an associate’s vehicle also increases the risk of detection.
Case Study: Julian Assange
Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, avoided public transportation and remained in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years. This strategy helped him evade capture but eventually led to his arrest once he was forced to leave the embassy.
Assange’s prolonged stay in a single location underscores the challenges of long-term evasion and the potential limitations of relying on diplomatic protection.
7. Be Self-Sufficient
Relying on others for essentials can expose you to law enforcement. Avoid contacting people from your past. If you must, ensure they can be trusted not to reveal your whereabouts.
Case Study: Ted Kaczynski
Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, lived a self-sufficient life in a remote cabin in Montana. His ability to live off the land and minimal contact with the outside world helped him evade capture for nearly two decades.
Kaczynski’s extreme isolation and survival skills were critical to his long-term evasion but also highlighted the psychological toll of such a lifestyle.
8. Disable GPS Devices
Turn off GPS on all devices. Mobile phones, even when off, can be tracked, and burner phones aren’t completely reliable. Use vehicles without digital connectivity to avoid GPS tracking.
Case Study: Pablo Escobar
Pablo Escobar, the infamous Colombian drug lord, often used vehicles without GPS and constantly switched cars to avoid tracking. However, his reliance on technology for communication eventually led to his downfall.
Escobar’s extensive network and resources allowed him to evade capture for years, but his use of modern technology ultimately became vulnerable.
9. Create a New Identity
Living off the grid and assuming a new identity requires significant effort. Forging various documents will be necessary to maintain your new persona.
Case Study: Frank Abagnale Jr.
Frank Abagnale Jr., the infamous con artist depicted in “Catch Me If You Can,” successfully forged identities and documents to evade capture. His skills in creating new identities allowed him to commit numerous frauds before being caught.
Abagnale’s story illustrates the importance of meticulous attention to detail and adaptability when forging a new identity.
10. Take a Low-Profile Job
You’ll eventually need money, so plan for low-profile jobs that require minimal identification. Positions like sales and trucking offer income while keeping a low profile. Volunteering in areas such as search and rescue can also help build a cover.
Avoid high-profile jobs, as they increase the risk of exposure. Maintaining a presence with your fake ID helps prevent suspicion from those around you.
Case Study: D.B. Cooper
The mysterious hijacker known as D.B. Cooper, who vanished after parachuting from a plane with stolen money, has never been found. It’s believed that he lived a low-profile life, avoiding jobs that required identification, which helped him remain undetected.
Cooper’s case remains one of the most enduring mysteries of modern crime, highlighting the potential for successful evasion with careful planning.
By following these guidelines, you can increase your chances of evading capture. However, always remember that living on the run involves significant risks and sacrifices. The psychological and physical demands of constant evasion, combined with the relentless pursuit by law enforcement, make it a challenging and often unsustainable lifestyle.
Conclusion
Avoiding capture as a fugitive requires a comprehensive strategy and unwavering dedication. Strategies such as distancing yourself from family, avoiding cities, using only cash, erasing digital footprints, quitting social media, avoiding public transportation, being self-sufficient, disabling GPS devices, creating a new identity, and taking low-profile jobs are crucial.
Real-life examples, such as Eric Rudolph, Whitey Bulger, Edward Snowden, Ross Ulbricht, Kim Dotcom, Julian Assange, Ted Kaczynski, Pablo Escobar, Frank Abagnale Jr., and D.B. Cooper, provide valuable lessons in the complexities and challenges of evading law enforcement.
By understanding these strategies and their practical applications, you can better prepare yourself for the complex and high-stakes task of remaining undetected. Remember, the risks and sacrifices involved in this lifestyle are significant, and authorities are relentless in their pursuit.
If you would like to work with a professional team that can help make your transition to a life of freedom, contact Amicus Int. for New Identity services today.
