Ep 148_ Hiding in Plain Sight

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Today’s episode is all about keeping a low profile. What is a low profile? Well, one origin of the phrase of comes from the sea. Boats sitting “low” in the water laden down with cargo had a “low profile” and are harder to see. Boats that have empty hulls sit higher in the water and have a “high profile”… As for me, I see advantages to both.

Today’s show gives you some common-sense ideas about how to be less visible, but not invisible.

Here are some tips to keeping your profile low:

DECIDE whether you just want a lower profile or you want to virtually vanish (drastic reduction)
We’ll be primarily discussing a lower profile…not vanishing:

Lower your visibility/activity in community organizations (think PTA, Elks, church, VFW, Sierra Club)–Instead of being an elected official or leader in your church, etc, downgrade to just being an attendee. That goes for all organizations if you want to reduce your visibility. Forego attending all together if you want to vanish. If you’re an elected official, you’ve got a lot of work to do.
Erase your digital footprint–Limit your activity with/on: computers, the internet, atm banking/online banking, credit cards, check writing.
Especially limit cell phone use–your movements are traced and all phone calls, emails, texts, websites and movements (PING) are monitored.
When wanting to be invisible in public, dress similarly to the people around you. Think business, redneck, urban/hip-hop, preppy, workout junkie. Each of those stereotypes has a dress code. To travel in/around those groups , dress similarly to blend in.
Here are some additional things to do to keep your profile low:

Use cash for everything
live out in the boonies–WAAAAAAY out
Keep you house looking nice
Own your house. Have your deed/title
Bank in the next town over
Lose your library card
Handle business in person, pay cash and don’t generate records other than a cash receipt
Live near public land
Get a PO Box
Don’t socialize with strangers or people in the organizations you choose to associate with
Assume everything you do that is digital is being recorded and available to the government/law enforcement.
Hide valuables in weird places like pantries, attics, and access panels. don’t hide them in the underwear drawer in the master bedroom. That’s the FIRST place to look.