Perhaps you've thought to yourself how nice it would be to be somebody else from time to time. As the New York Times points out, disappearing with a new identity isn't that hard.


The Times talked to Bob Burton, president of the highly regarded bounty hunting company U.S. Cobra, about how one could easily disappear. Burton suggested that the lonely dead could be of service:

"You look in the obituaries," Mr. Burton said, "in Topeka, Kan., say. You want a gas station attendant more or less your age. Once you get the date of birth, you call the county. 'Hi, I used to live in Kansas, but I've been living in American Samoa for the last 20 years as a Christian missionary. Any chance I could get a copy of my birth certificate?' "Should your ruse succeed and the certificate arrive, simply call a motor vehicle office and apply for a driver's license. "All you need," Mr. Burton said, "is one good piece of ID. The rest follows after that."


This method leaves a lot to chance, but if you've always wondered how you could increase your 007 toolkit, this is one option. And if the whole idea gives you creepy feelings, MSNBC offers some helpful tips you can employ to keep people from grave robbing your loved one's identity (e.g., "Don't include details such as day and month of birth [use only the year] or addresses in obituaries").

Either way, good to know next time you're looking to ditch Big Brother and disappear forever.


How to Disappear | New York Times

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