Looking to get a burner phone

[Noconozco]

When you get these do they require any identifying info, like name, ssn? to signup or activate? How long should they be kept? Any suggestions on which phone to get or where?
Thanks

[WyldeAndromeda]

Try Google Voice its free and you can change it anytime you want for $10

[projectbliss]

I'll let you do the research so not to give away my method. But there is a carrier where you can pay cash for the phone, cash for the air time cards and not register it to any name

[pmdelites]

tracfone from krogers or other big box retailers. ~$20-50/phone, $40(?) for 3 months of svc. often can get 2-3x minutes when you refill your time.

if you can afford to risk it, buy time w/ your kroger rewards card for 2-3x gas points :^}

[flanker1017]

Just get a tracfone from WalMart and pay cash. Buy minutes when you need them and pay cash for them. Nobody know your name. Easy as pie. Just do it. All you have to do is hide your phone is a safe place and put the ringer on silent.

[mrredcat43]

You can go to any carrier and get a prepay and not associate any of your info with it.

[SomethingOnTheSide]

burnerapp.com

[ray1138]

I don't claim to know the cheapest, or most secure route, but I will share what I did.

I went to Target with cash in hand. I bought an AT&T Go Phone (orange package) with cash. No ID, no credit or debit card info, no questions.

I bought a cheaper phone that has a physical keyboard. It looks like a knockoff Blackberry. Go Phone has one similar available right now at Target and Walmart. It has a removable battery.

When not in hobby mode, this phone has the battery removed and hidden. No inadvertent noises or vibrations to deal with. The physical keyboard is not great but it easier than trying to text with a flip phone.

I have an iPhone for personal use. I do not mix the two. I've never texted or called my hobby phone from my personal phone, or vice versa.

If my hobby number somehow gets associated with ISIS, I am sure the FBI will acquire video of me buying it in Target. Outside of that, I feel like I am reasonably disassociated from that hobby number.

When looking at phones, google the model number and look for online reviews. Check for features you want. For me, the removable battery is key to how I operate. If someone finds the phone, they have to find a battery to power it on before they even determine that all contacts, calls and texts have already been erased.

I hang out with a few folks who are deep into the IT security world. They have convinced me to avoid Google Voice, not for security reasons, but for the possibility for cross-polination of contact info between Google voice and RW. I prefer a very hard border between RW and hobby numbers.

All my parannoia is effectively shot to hell by the fact that I drive my personal car to hobby meetings....

[slowmover]

Now there's an idea for the guy w/ too much money, a hobby car

[SomethingOnTheSide]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Now there's an idea for the guy w/ too much money, a hobby car

just use Uber with a pickup originating at a discrete location.

[Noconozco]

Thanks all for your advice. I'll probably go phone shopping today.

[LovingKayla]

I have one registered to Capt. Janeway in Disneyland planet nuru.

[JLanister]

Originally Posted by LovingKayla

I have one registered to Capt. Janeway in Disneyland planet nuru.

You are correct about Google. They know everything about you and your family. I can tell what my SO is shopping for online by the ads that get inserted in my browser!

[johnclark]

Originally Posted by projectbliss

I'll let you do the research so not to give away my method. But there is a carrier where you can pay cash for the phone, cash for the air time cards and not register it to any name

That was about as helpful as "I'm thinking of a number between one and one thousand".

[ray1138]

Since the thread is still alive, I'll add that GoPhone and the other larger carriers seem to suck on pricing. Each text sent or received is 20 cents. Drains a $25 refill card pretty quickly at times.

There are some really great deals on unlimited texting for certain prepaid carriers, but they all seem to require a sign up and monthly deal. If you want to walk in to Home Depot and pay for a refill card in cash, the rates suck.

I haven't investigated whether these monthly deals really require RW info or if they can be funded with a prepaid Visa and fake info. I've heard they need RW info, but not verified.

If anyone knows different, please share the carrier.

What keeps me where I am is that the most I lose if I ditch the phone and SIM in a dumpster is a $30 device and a $25 refill card.