Find Yourself First to Disappear Completely
To disappear wholly and legally, you must be smart. Step outside yourself and examine the life you’re leaving behind. Identify things that might attract pursuers and change anything that could make people interested in you.
For example, if you are used to searching for specific topics online or have distinct habits, alter these behaviours. Don’t act like you’re from Miami if you’re in the west of Ireland. And if you’re in a loud bar, don’t be a wallflower; be noisy.
The Escape Plan
To disappear legally and effectively, meticulous preparation is crucial. Here are detailed steps for crafting a foolproof escape plan:
Essential Documentation
Ensure you have essential documents like a prepaid phone, a prepaid debit card, and a valid ID. If you have both a passport and a driver’s license, keep one and send the other to a trusted contact in a different location. This ensures you have backup identification without carrying everything, which might draw suspicion.
Minimize Digital Footprint
Before disappearing, minimize your digital footprint. Delete your social media accounts, clear your browsing history, and avoid using traceable devices. Use encrypted communication tools and avoid posting any information that could reveal your location or plans.
Secure Financial Resources
Distribute your financial resources across various prepaid debit cards and anonymous accounts. Avoid large cash withdrawals, as they can raise red flags. Instead, make small, frequent withdrawals to fund your escape without drawing attention.
Travel Smart
Use different modes of transportation to avoid creating a predictable pattern. Instead of taking a direct flight, consider taking a train or bus to a nearby city and then flying there. This makes it harder for anyone to track your movements. Always pay for tickets in cash or with a prepaid debit card to avoid leaving a paper trail.
Create False Trails
Breadcrumbs are an excellent way to mislead pursuers. Disinformation is the art of going missing. It doesn’t have to be accurate, but it does need to be easy to find. For instance, I once put euros in my client’s wallet and left it in a Paris hotel. Someone found it, and her husband searched Paris while she hid in Lisbon.
Avoid Familiar Habits
Change your routines and habits. If you are used to frequenting certain types of places, avoid them. Don’t visit familiar areas or engage in activities that could remind others of you. For example, switch to hiking or a different outdoor activity if you enjoy surfing.
Alter Your Physical Appearance
Consider altering your physical appearance subtly. Change your hairstyle, wear different clothing styles, or use accessories like glasses. These small changes can make you less recognizable without resorting to drastic measures like plastic surgery.
Stay Low-Profile
Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Stay in low-profile accommodations like budget hotels or short-term rentals. Avoid luxury hotels or resorts that require detailed identification and leave a significant paper trail.
Cut Ties Temporarily
Inform close friends and family that you will be unreachable for a while. Avoid contacting them during your disappearance to prevent accidental leaks of your whereabouts. Use secure communication channels if you need to reach out.
Establish Emergency Contacts
Establish a network of trusted contacts who can assist you if needed. These contacts should be able to provide support without compromising your location. Ensure they understand the importance of confidentiality and discretion.
Leave as Little as Possible
Everywhere you go, you’ll leave a mark. The key is to leave as few marks as possible and break the link between each step. Don’t walk in Times Square. Take a taxi instead, and fewer people will be able to see you. If you see someone you know, tell them you’re going to Belgium in two days. You’re spreading more false information if they post it on Facebook.
Get Money from Others
You still have to live in the world, but how you take advantage of situations matters. People think that pay-as-you-go phones can’t be tracked, but they can. When you go into a store, a camera records what you buy.
Find a homeless person and give them $100 to buy a prepaid phone. They do the deal, their picture is on the camera, and you can’t be traced by phone.
Fugitives and Their New Identities
Not just the Ponzi schemer himself but also rogue accountants, lawyers, and hedge funders walk meekly into federal courts, expecting long prison sentences. Yet, few disappear entirely.
Why not take the money you stole and leave? With plastic surgery and a quiet payment, you could buy a sun-kissed life on an Indian Ocean archipelago. Some of those locations don’t have extradition agreements with the US. Even working as an outboard motor operator for Somali pirates seems better than spending life in a federal prison.
Case Studies: Disappearances and New Identities
Robert Vesco
In the past, the life of a fugitive used to be more accessible. Robert Vesco, a stock scammer who gave illegal campaign donations to President Richard Nixon, went to Costa Rica in 1972. He donated $2.1 million to a company that Nixon had started.
Costa Rica passed a law that stopped him from being sent back to the United States. Today, Costa Rica is a popular vacation spot, but it’s not a good place for criminals trying to disappear.
Jimmy Walker
In 1932, New York Mayor Jimmy Walker was accused of taking bribes. He packed his hefty salary and moved to the French Riviera until the rumours stopped. The world isn’t as big as it used to be. A 2007 report said the United States has extradition agreements with every country in the Western Hemisphere and most of Europe.
James “Whitey” Bulger Jr.
The most successful fugitives are usually high-end career criminals. James “Whitey” Bulger Jr., boss of the Winter Hill Gang in Boston, disappeared in 1995. Though spotted in places like Sicily and Dublin, he remains elusive. He blends in with a pea cap and shillelagh, looking like any other old Irish man.
Sara Jane Olson
Fugitive politicians are hard to catch. They do bad things and then return to everyday life. Sara Jane Olson, a former Symbionese Liberation Army bank robber, hid in plain sight as a middle-class mom in Minnesota for 26 years before being caught.
White Collar Fugitives
Less attractive are white-collar fugitives. Joe Judge, a retired FBI agent, found three wanted people hiding at the Breakers, a luxury hotel in Palm Beach. Many white-collar suspects think they’re too bright to be found guilty. Daniel C. Richman, a former federal prosecutor, says, “It’s funny how many people don’t understand their problem.”
Marc Rich
Some do run. In 1983, Rudolph W. Giuliani charged commodities trader Marc Rich with wire and securities fraud. Rich fled to Switzerland and received a pardon from President Bill Clinton in 2001. His wife may have helped by donating to Clinton’s campaign.
Jacob Alexander
In 2006, a federal jury charged Jacob (Kobi) Alexander with wire and securities fraud. Alexander and his family flew to Namibia, which lacks an extradition agreement with the US.
He tried to buy Namibia, more or less, paying for scholarships and building solar-powered buildings. Confident, he threw his son a four-day bar mitzvah and hired a jet to bring friends from New York City.
Sholam Weiss
Sholam Weiss, a Brooklyn plumber turned fraudster, ran to Brazil during his trial in Florida. The FBI agent, Mr. Judge, worried Weiss was trying to impregnate a Brazilian woman to avoid extradition. Weiss was caught after leaving Brazil for Austria.
Conclusion: Planning Your Disappearance
Disappearing legally requires careful planning. Understand your habits and change anything that might attract attention. Use disinformation to mislead pursuers and leave as few marks as possible.
Remember, the world has grown smaller and is more challenging to hide. High-end career criminals have a better chance of success, but anyone can improve their odds with intelligent planning and execution.
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.
