How do I pay anonymously online?
Here we will discuss on how to go about on paying for things so you are 110% anonymous. Most people will say, well that’s easy.. just use cash. However, in the world of the internet, paying for things online via cash is not always easy.
Money Order/Western Union
If the site offers to accept Western Union or a money order, you can use bogus sender information and no return address. Western Union is almost available in all areas and all countries. This way you are not sending them a check with your name and bank link on it. Make sure the website is reputable as there are many scams that will ask you to send Western Union and you will never hear from them again.
Prepaid Card
The most important thing is to never pay for anything with your credit or debit card. This always leaves a paper trail that credit card companies as well as banks keep for at least eight years for tax purposes. All a law enforcement officer has to do is subpoena your company, and your full name, address, account number, and list of transactions will all be turned over to the authorities. In this day of age with the Patriot Act, it is not hard for the government to get a subpoena or court order.
Now, lets talk about ordering essentials on the internet. Lets face it, you can’t just buy web hosting or domain names at your local Walmart. Fortunately, you can find other things such as something called a prepaid card which allows you to put money on it and use it for purchases online. You have to be careful though. Many of these prepaid credit cards will require your Name, Address, and Social Security Number upon signing up to prevent money laundering and terrorism. A company called Green Dot offers these prepaid cards, but they are very bad for being anonymous. Their own site FAQ located at https://www.greendotonline.com/Contents/Help.aspx#12 even answers the big question.
Is This Card Anonymous?
No. The cardholder’s name will be embossed on the Card and the cardholder’s personal information will be kept on record. We are committed to your financial security. All personal information provided by the cardholder during account set up will be verified.
Now don’t admit defeat yet. We have other options. Something I am going to recommend is called an American Express Gift Card that you can find at your local Walgreens. You can buy one of these with an amount from $25 to $500 on it without any personal information required. The card fees are very low and usually range from $3.95 to $6 when activating, which is well worth the privacy this card offers. It looks something like:
Now the kicker is, you pay this card in cash and there is no paper-trail to your name. Try to buy it from a store you don’t regularly visit. Most stores have security cameras (which are poor quality as it is) but we want to make sure nobody knows you to conceal your identity to the fullest. These cards do not require any phone or online activation. However, some merchants online will do an address check when using this card. Now, depending on the merchant, you can just make up a fake address, however, some require that the address does match on the card. Now after you buy the card, get access to a pay phone or prepaid phone that is not in your name. You could also use a Caller ID Spoofing service when calling them so they do not have your phone number. We are going to call American Express Gift Card line which is even open 24 hours a day for all you night hours out there. Their number is 1-877-AXP-GIFT. (8771974438) Get ahold of a live person (just enter the prompt to say that your card is lost or stolen.) Once you get ahold of someone live, tell them you want to add a name and address on your card so you can use it online. They will ask for your information, in this case you can make up any name and address and it will be complete and matched to the card. Congratulations, you are now 110% anonymous.
Lets analyze!
* No paper trail when buying the prepaid card since you pay cash
* No record on American Express phone logs of your real phone number
* No record from the merchant you are buying from with your real address or name
A last note and reminder is many sites log your IP (Internet Protocol) address when purchasing things online. With your IP address showing, you are potentially traceable. However, if you read our blog article on IP Address Spoofing, we can help you use another IP address when buying things so it is not linked to your computer/home connection. Alternatively, you could use a library, coffee shop, or another remote location when buying something rather than using your own home connection.
Stolen Credit Cards
Remember, paying for things in a legitimate matter with your own money is always good. Credit card fraud or “carding” is using a stolen credit card number that belong to someone else. That defeats the whole purpoe of being anonymous. Not only do we not support it, but it will attract more heat on you and chances of you being caught are higher than normal. You can still pay for things online anonymously in a legitimate manner.