A really useful how-to guide on being able to vanish completely from web tracing. Worried about that Ex finding you? Then read on!

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1. Lose the Cell Phone

It might be your digital lifeline, but when you’re trying to hide, your cell phone is a digital bull’s eye. Those with the access can easily triangulate your position based on your cell signal.

You don’t even need to make a call, as phones are always talking to towers to get the best signal available. A built-in GPS only makes it easier.

If you can, take out the battery. You can always pop it back in for a true emergency.

You can also leave the phone somewhere to misdirect tracers. The latter is best if you’ve got a phone with a battery you can’t access. (Apple iPhones are not for fugitives.)

2. Make Purchases Using Gift Cards

It’s not impossible to make Web purchases while off the grid. Use your cash to purchase credit card gift cards, such as Visa or American Express.

They’re available just about anywhere. You can use them for purchases online and off and then chuck them after they’re used up. (Try to rotate where you get deliveries.)

3. Forget Being Social

It’s time to give up on Facebook and Twitter. Seriously. Just walk away.

If you can’t go cold turkey, create anonymous accounts from remote locations. Friend a few bots to keep your number of friends/followers high for your psychological fitness, since you, by definition, don’t have any friends at this point.

And for the love of all that’s holy, don’t friend or follow people you actually know.

4. Erase Info from Pictures

If you’re still in the habit of sending or posting digital pictures online, at the very least, strip out the EXIF data on the image file.

This information includes the make of the camera, date and time the pic was taken, and, with some modern cameras, geographical location info. With enough pics and time, someone could easily figure out where you’ve been, if not where you’re going.

5. Encrypt Messages

You may still need to send some e-mails. Naturally, you’ll set up a brand new account. Even then, its best to make sure no one can read what you send.

To start, use Gmail from Google since it defaults to using SSL encryption when you’re on the site. That’ll help when you’re using public Wi-Fi, if nothing else.

For super secrecy, you need to encrypt messages you send. For a double-whammy, access Gmail using Thunderbird, but utilize GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) to encrypt messages via the Enigmail plug-in.

6. Don’t Sign In

When it comes to free Wi-Fi, often you’ll need to sign in, which means creating an account. Avoid these places, if you can.

Starbucks and Barnes & Nobles are plentiful, and the AT&T Wi-Fi they use doesn’t require anything more than clicking to reaccess every couple of hours. Once you’re online, however, put a VPN to work for you to help prevent wireless snoopers from seeing what you’re doing.

7. Don’t Disappear: Deceive 

Former skiptracer Frank Ahearn wrote How to Disappear in 2010. But last year, he decided a new tactic was more important.

All of the info people can find about you online generally comes from one source—you. So, an easier tactic might be to hide in plain sight by filling the Internet with incorrect information.

That means using things like social networks to put misinformation out there. Reducing your digital footprint is certainly important, but if you still want to stay online, deceiving people about where you live, your income, and members of your family, can make it hard for pursuers to find you.

So that’s how to completely remove yourself from the web. There’s quite a lot involved, but that’s what it takes!

Read the full article at PCMag.

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