Financial and Personal Privacy
There was a time in the United States of America and in other major nations when personal and financial privacy was so real that it was taken for granted. Your personal life and your business was your own -- nobody else's. In those long gone days your banker was a professional of discretion who would never discuss your financial affairs with anyone, certainly not with government agents, unless they had a legal court order. That description of privacy is no longer true in America, especially when it comes to financial privacy and banking confidentiality.
Prior to September 11th, American privacy was on the decline, but after the attacks, using the PATRIOT Act as their weapon, the U.S. government and police in secret can tap your phones, e-mails, put key loggers on your computer and secretly search your office, home, and records of every kind. Private parties, for a relatively few dollars, can buy Internet and other searches that list every fact about your own person, your family, your finances and even your personal music, video rental and other buying habits. And, it’s all perfectly legal. There’s very little you can do to stop it…but there are steps you can take to preserve your financial and personal privacy.
By setting up your financial affairs offshore, you can avoid all of this U.S. government spying and re-establish a much higher degree of personal and financial privacy. Good sense and self-preservation dictates that you reorder your wealth and assets so that a reasonable portion is located in an offshore nation where real financial privacy is guaranteed by law.
The articles below originally appeared in our monthly newsletter, The Sovereign Individual. You can learn more about privacy, tax havens and asset protection in The Sovereign Individual each month by becoming a member of The Sovereign Society. Click here for details on membership.
More About Financial Privacy and Personal Privacy
Your Financial Life Is An Open Book... Here's How to Slam It Shut
By Mark Nestmann
Congress is finally waking up to the fact that just about everything Americans want to keep private—bank account details, phone records, credit records, medical records, driving records, bankruptcies, criminal records, civil suits, and property records and much more—is available if you have the money to purchase it.
That was the lesson Congressman Whitfield and the members of his House Energy and Commerce Committee Oversight Subcommittee learned during a series of hearings in June. The hearings featured testimony from data brokers, from whom banks, car dealers, jealous lovers, and even some law enforcement officers have covertly purchased information.
They learned of a multi-million dollar industry in which, by illegally impersonating your target, you can purchase someone’s phone records for US$200, Social Security number for US$60 and the location of a cell phone for US$300.
They also learned how law enforcement—including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI—uses data broker services to evade legal protections guaranteed in 1970s-era laws prohibiting law enforcement agencies from assembling such records.
These privacy-stealing issues are so grave that data brokers that appeared on Capitol Hill in June couldn’t describe their own involvement for fear of criminal prosecution.
Data Brokers Admit Truthful Testimony Would Expose Criminal Acts
Congressman Whitfield’s subcommittee focused on the technique of pretexting, in which a data broker contacts a phone company, bank, mortgage company, utility, or government agency pretending to be someone else. In many cases, the data broker pretends to be the investigative target calling for information about his or her account.
The subcommittee subpoenaed representatives from 11 companies who obtain, market and sell personal data—but every one of them refused to testify about how they earn a living.
One by one, each of them raised their right hand and swore an oath to tell the truth. But when asked whether they sold “personal, non-public information” that had been obtained by lying or impersonating someone, all 11 representatives invoked their constitutional right not to incriminate themselves.
The subcommittee learned how drug dealers use data brokers to obtain information so they can track down and murder undercover narcotics agents and how stalkers use data brokers to find, harass and sometimes even kill their victims. For instance, in 1999, a man obsessed with a high-school classmate tracked down and killed her after using the services of a data broker called Docusearch, Inc. The killer paid Docusearch US$204 to learn Amy Boyer’s birthday, her Social Security number and her employer. Using this information, he ambushed and murdered Boyer as she left work. He then shot himself to death.
And Congress heard first and how numerous federal and local law enforcement agencies use data brokers to sweep up telephone, bank and other records, bypassing the legal framework set up 30 years ago designed to protect civil liberties. This disclosure occurs on an enormous scale. ChoicePoint, one of the largest data broker services, runs between 14,000 and 40,000 searches per month for just one federal agency, the United States Marshall’s Service.
Former data broker James Rapp testified that he could obtain their bank passwords or credit card records with just a few telephone calls. By providing customer service representatives a few pieces of information, he could trick them into revealing this data. After a few inquiries, he said he could obtain their Social Security numbers: the key to stealing someone’s identity.
“There was nowhere you could run or hide that I couldn’t track you down,” Rapp told the subcommittee members.
Rapp’s exaggerating, but only a little. It’s true there is no way to eliminate the potential exposure of your data without ending all relationships with U.S. banks, brokerages, utility companies, etc. But there are steps you can take to greatly limit the data flow. Here are my top suggestions:
Mark Nestmann is a journalist and consultant with more than 20 years of investigative experience. He is a charter member of The Sovereign Society’s Council of Experts and serves as editor of TSI.
A Practical All-in-One PC Security Solution
By Mark Nestmann
Big brother wants to track you on the Internet.
Thanks to The New York Times, we now know that the NSA is illegally screening virtually all Internet and email traffic going or coming to or going from the U.S. If that’s not enough, the USA PATRIOT Act requires ISPs to hand over customer information, e-mail records, browsing records, etc., without a warrant.
Not to mention the crooks on the Internet trying to break into your PC to steal your identity. One of their favorite cruising grounds are wi-fi hotspots, where they try to break into unprotected PCs.
I’ve found a practical solution to prevent both government snoops and wi-fi pirates from eavesdropping on your Internet communications. For US$485, you can own a practical, all-in-one computer privacy system. It’s called Armorware, and it consists of a USB stick with 110 megabytes of usable capacity and a CD to boot a laptop or desktop PC into a secure computing environment running under the Linux operating system. Using your Armorware USB stick, you can walk into any wi-fi equipped café anywhere in the world and create a private and completely secure connection to the Internet.
Armorware does this by creating an encrypted data channel between you and the Armorware servers in Toronto, Canada. Even if the connection is tapped, eavesdroppers see only gibberish because the entire communication between the Armorware USB stick and the Armorware servers is encrypted! They won’t even be able to see where you’re surfing or to whom you’re sending e-mail, because all communication is through Armorware’s secure servers.
Once Armorware boots up, you get a Windows-like display and a dozen or so open-source programs that allow you to import and export files in most Microsoft formats, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You also get the excellent Firefox browser, a desktop organizer and several utilities. Plus, you can run many other programs, so long as they are written for Linux.
For expats and perpetual travelers, this is a great deal. Even if your USB sticks are lost or stolen, the data can be encrypted so that the thief won’t recover anything usable. You could even back up your files to an encrypted Armorware server with unlimited capacity.
To install Armorware, all you need to do is reconfigure your PC’s BIOS settings to permit booting from a CD and change the boot sequence instructions to boot first from the CD drive. This is a one-time operation on your laptop, and lets you use Armorware anywhere in the world.
Once you’ve accomplished this, simply create a passphrase for your open-source PGP encryption keys or import your own. Within a matter of minutes, you are ready to log on to the Armorware servers.
It’s good that Armorware’s creators chose to use PGP instead of proprietary encryption software, because it’s an open-source algorithm that can be checked out by outside computer experts. And PGP, along with the open-source Linux as an operating system, are just two examples of Armorware’s use of outstanding open-source applications.
Most computer experts agree that open source operating systems and applications can be made more secure than proprietary operating systems such as Microsoft Windows. Unlike proprietary software, in open source software, the programming instructions are available for outside review by experts. There’s a continuing process of improvement as experts weed out security weaknesses. In contrast, with proprietary systems, you must “trust” the company that publishes the operating system or application that it’s providing a secure system. Microsoft hasn’t done a very good job of that, although it’s trying harder now.
Of course, the best hardware or software in the world won’t get you to first base if you can’t figure out how to use it. And that’s where Armorware shines. It’s not exactly like using Windows, but it’s close enough that if you’re familiar with a Windows environment, you’ll be up and running within an hour or two after you first install it.
Another nice aspect of using Armorware is the company’s technical support. I had some problems establishing a DSL connection, but Armorware worked me through it and even sent a replacement CD with special instructions for my modem. Now it connects perfectly each time I use it.
Armorware is not cheap, but it’s less expensive than America Online, Yahoo! and similar services. Not to mention that with Canada-based Armorware, you’re dealing with a non-U.S. company. Armorware isn’t subject to the USA PATRIOT Act, so it’s not required to hand over customer e-mail and browsing records upon warrantless demand by the FBI.
Editor’s Note: We were so impressed with Armorware that we asked them to set up a special site for Sovereign Society members to learn more about, or to purchase the product. Link: http://armorware.directtrack.com/z/61/CD125.
Know the Law to Protect Yourself from Identity Thieves and Other Privacy Invaders
By Mark Nestmann
When I recently moved to Phoenix, Arizona—the city with the highest incidence of identity theft in the U.S.—everyone wanted my number. My social security number, that is. And they wanted to know where I lived.
Of course, being the privacy fanatic that I am, I didn’t reveal this information. But along the way, I found myself in some very interesting situations—including one where a used car salesman gave me legal advice that, if I had followed it, might have led to my arrest for money laundering.
In any event, I managed to rent an apartment, set up utility services, obtain medical and auto insurance, and purchase a vehicle—all without revealing my SSN. I also managed to do most of these things without revealing my residential address.
If you’re a new Sovereign Society member, you might be wondering, “why bother?” Here are a few reasons—and then I’ll tell you how I won a small victory in the privacy wars.
Why not reveal your SSN? The main reason you should avoid disclosing your SSN is that it’s the single most important piece of information identity thieves use to impersonate someone. Armed with a legitimate SSN, an identity thief can, in many situations, march into a department store, fill out a credit application, and leave 10 minutes later with a big screen TV, leather sofa or anything else he can purchase on credit. If the SSN he’s using is yours, a few weeks later, you’ll start receiving bills for purchases you never made.
And, while it’s certainly possible for an ID thief to find your SSN on the Internet, it’s even easier if he can steal it from a commercial provider—a utility company, a car dealership, a landlord, or whoever. Indeed, in 2005, an astonishing 56.3 million Americans had their identities exposed in security breaches by companies and public agencies, according to the ID Theft Resource Center. In many of these cases, the SSN was the key piece of information exposed.
Why not reveal your residential address? Once again, this is a very useful tidbit of information for identity thieves. But, it also makes it much more convenient for stalkers, thieves or anyone else who might wish to harm you to find you when you’re most vulnerable—at home, relaxing with your family, sleeping, etc.
Just ask Rebecca Schaefer, or rather, her heirs. When Ms. Schaefer, a California actress, answered the door to her home several years ago, she found one of her “fans” pointing a gun at her…and died from the gunshot wounds he inflicted. Her assailant had merely walked into the California Department of Motor Vehicles, looked up her residential address and with that information paid her a fatal visit.
While a federal law now prohibits such disclosures, most Americans continue to list their residential address on their drivers’ licenses, their personal checks, their stationary, and have mail delivered to their homes.
True, it’s easier to simply give in and provide all the information your landlord, insurance company or whoever is demanding. But, it’s not always necessary.
Still, don’t count on anyone to explain this to you unless you challenge them. You have to be your own advocate. You also have to understand what the law requires and what it doesn’t require. If you’re not sure, ask; e.g., “Are you telling me that in order to obtain health insurance, there is a legal requirement under state or federal law to provide you with my SSN?” Here’s how I did it:
- Don’t own property in your own name. Home ownership records are now computerized in almost all states. At the click of a mouse, you can match the name of homeowners with addresses. Thousands of companies offer similar services. Using a corporation, limited liability company or (in some states) a “land trust” to hold property offers some protection against disclosure of your identity, but be sure to review the tax consequences of this strategy with your tax advisor. Renting your residence (as I do) offers even more privacy, because there is no nationwide database of renters (unless you have the misfortune to be classified as a “problem tenant”).
- List all utility services in a company name. The company should actually exist; many utilities will insist on seeing the “Articles of Incorporation” or other official notification that the company is in good standing before setting up service. If you rent your home, find a landlord that will let you just make one monthly payment that includes all utilities, including local phone service. Use pre-paid calling cards for long distance calls. Such arrangements are particularly common in resort areas, such as Phoenix.
- Receive your mail at a post office box or a mail receiving service, not at home. This not only avoids the need to disclose your residential address to persons you don’t know (e.g., when you’re doing business by mail order or over the Internet), but provides a much more secure location to receive your mail than an unlocked mailbox. However, you’re required to disclose your residential address when you set up service. But this information is protected from casual inquiries, although it is available to law enforcement agencies.
- You may be able to obtain medical and vehicle insurance without revealing your home address. Having a mail receiving service in the same zip code as your residential address may be sufficient. Be prepared to pay higher rates, though. And instead of disclosing my SSN, give out your driver's license number-much less useful for identity theft.
- Avoid clearly unnecessary disclosures of personal information. When I arrived back in Phoenix, I decided to join a fitness club. The two that I visited both insisted on SSN disclosure as a condition for membership—so I now drive to a local community center where I pay US$2 each time I use the fitness center.
How NOT to Buy a Used Car Privately
Now, what about that used car salesman? When I went car shopping a few weeks ago, I found a suitable vehicle at a used car lot in north Phoenix. Since I didn’t plan to finance the vehicle, I assumed that it would be a simple matter to conclude the transaction and drive off with the vehicle—after the dealer verified sufficient funds, of course.
“Well, we still need some additional information,” the salesman informed me. “You’ll need to fill out part of our credit application even if you don’t take out a loan.” I glanced at the lines highlighted on the form. The information requested included—you guessed it—my SSN and my residential address.
“Why is this information necessary?” I asked. "I’m not borrowing any money, so why do I need to fill out your credit application?” The salesman disappeared into an office to consult with a manager. A few minutes later, both of them walked back out. The manager spoke first. “We’re required to obtain this information because of the USA PATRIOT Act. When someone buys a car from us, we need to know their SSN and other information.”
“I didn’t know that,” I replied. “However, I’m also a law-abiding citizen. If you can show me the part of the PATRIOT Act that requires disclosure of this information, of course, I’ll disclose it.” The sales manager and salesman conferred again. Then the salesman told me, “You just have to pay us with cash. Then we can do everything without any additional paperwork.”
Was I being set up? The reality is just the opposite of what the salesman was telling me—large cash transactions with car dealerships and many other businesses must be reported to the U.S. Treasury. Had I followed his advice, I might be writing these words from jail, as violations of these reporting requirements are punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a US$500,000 fine.
“I’m leaving,” I told him. “What you’re telling me is the exact opposite of the law. If I did what you’re advising me to do, I could go to jail.”
I pushed back my chair and stood up. At that moment, the sales manager emerged, waving a piece of paper. “OK, we can do it,” he told me. All the computer wants is a nine-digit number. Give us your telephone number and we’ll insert the first nine digits in the SSN field. As for your residential address, we can just use the address on your driver’s license.”
I sat back down. After giving the sales manager my voice mailbox number and my driver’s license (on which the address of my mail receiving service appears), we shook hands. We had a deal.
Could I have avoided this ordeal? Definitely. My mistake was doing business with a car dealer. I should have purchased a vehicle from a private owner, whom I could have purchased a vehicle from without the drama I experienced at the used car dealership.
Chalk one up for experience. I’ll remember next time I buy a vehicle—and you should, too.
Mark Nestmann is the author of the newly-released book, Austrian Money Secrets. To learn more about how going offshore could protect your wealth and ensure greater privacy, click here.
Nosy Bureau-rats Want to Read Your Email and ‘Outsource’ Intelligence Gathering—Here’s How to Protect Yourself
by Mark Nestmann
If you’re like me, your personal computer and the Internet are indispensable tools, both personally and professionally.
Why bother with a letter when you can dash off an e-mail and send it, virtually effortlessly? Who wants to buy something at a store, in person, when you can shop online, in the comfort of your own home? And why set foot in a library when there are so many good online research services?
Unfortunately, governments—particularly the U.S. government—view the incredible convenience facilitated by these technological marvels as an opportunity to snoop into your private affairs. It’s not enough to have every aspect of your financial affairs under continuous scrutiny, courtesy of the USA PATRIOT Act and similar laws. Now, they’re pressing for “back door” access to your e-mail messages, your Internet browsing habits and the precise location of your cell phone. And they’re doing it in a very sneaky way.
Internet Crime Fighting Treaty Opens Your Computer to Foreign Snoops
A treaty you’ve probably never heard of could force you to hand over to the government every secret document on your PC, without a warrant! And that’s just the beginning!
The treaty is called the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. Deep-pocket entertainment companies want it in force so they can crack down on “file sharing” and other supposedly nefarious activities carried on (mostly) by teenagers. Law enforcement authorities in the United States and Europe say that it’s essential to fight the “War on Terror”. And the Bush administration has endorsed its ratification by the U.S. Senate.
However, there are serious reasons to question the assertion of one of the treaty’s leading backers, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), who states, “Prompt ratification…will help advance the security of Americans.” That assertion is particularly questionable since the treaty both lacks a requirement for “dual criminality” (i.e., that an offense be illegal in both countries in order for an investigation to take place) and also permits one country to conduct covert surveillance on Internet users in another country. If the Senate ratifies the treaty, foreign governments could legally conduct covert surveillance on Americans’ Internet use and even require the U.S. government to prosecute U.S. persons for violations of foreign laws!
In China, for instance, strict Internet censorship laws apply. A reporter was recently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for posting a news report on a “blog” without prior approval from the Communist Party Propaganda Department. The news item wasn’t sensitive information about China’s nuclear weapons program. The journalist, Shi Tao, was imprisoned for sending foreign websites a copy of a message from Chinese authorities warning domestic journalists about reporting on sensitive issues. The Justice Department could also be required to prosecute someone in the U.S.A. pressing for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia or better treatment for Christians in Sudan, if these countries eventually ratify the treaty.
There’s more…
Article 14 requires countries to place a law into effect that would require disclosure of decryption keys. In other words, if you use a program like PGP on your PC to protect your files or e-mails from unauthorized access, the treaty would empower the government to order you to release them. No probable cause, no warrant…just give up your keys (thus giving investigators carte blanche to your files), or risk fines and imprisonment. Whatever happened to the Bill of Rights with its provision protecting your right to avoid self-incrimination?
Finally, the treaty contains absolutely no limits on the authority governments have to conduct coercive investigations of Internet users. If this treaty goes into effect, you will have absolutely no right to contest any investigative technique the U.S. government—or a foreign government—takes to seize your computer files, decryption keys, e-mail messages, or any other electronic communications.
The opinion pages of every newspaper in the U.S. should be howling about this treaty—but the silence is deafening. Sadly, in an era where Americans are more interested in Katie Holmes’ pregnancy than gross incursions on their civil liberties, perhaps it’s not that surprising.
I urge every Sovereign Society member to contact the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to express your outrage over this treaty (designated Treaty 108-11):
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225
Majority Phone: (202) 224-4651
Minority Phone: (202) 224-3953
See for yourself how politically untouchable bureau-rats want to eliminate your right to electronic privacy through the back door: read the treaty at: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/185.htm. Read the official explanation of this treaty at: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Reports/Html/185.htm.
Big Brother Outsources to Little Brother
Doesn’t it make you feel warm and tingly to know that the U.S. government is vigorously guarding your civil liberties? Yes, the laws to defend your privacy seem, at first glance, to provide a bulwark of protection:
- Fair Credit Reporting Act. This law, enacted in 1970 and significantly modified through amendments, prohibits government agencies from obtaining information about you from a credit bureau without your consent.
- Privacy Act. A legacy of the Watergate era and the Nixon administration’s “Enemies List,” this 1974 law prohibits government agencies from releasing information about an individual to any other person, or other government agencies, without the written consent of that individual.
- Right to Privacy Act. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that bank customers have no legal expectation of privacy for financial information held by financial institutions, Congress enacted this 1978 law. It requires government agencies to provide notice and an opportunity to object before a bank or other institution can disclose personal financial information to a government agency.
These all sound good—but there is a teensy-weensy loophole in these laws large enough to fly a 747 through: if the agency (such as the IRS or FBI) seeking information issues an “administrative subpoena,” these laws fold like a house of cards.
An administrative subpoena is a document signed by an investigator that requires the recipient to disclose any relevant information about the person or company being investigated. Administrative subpoenas are issued with no prior judicial, prosecutorial or grand jury approval, without probable cause and without a warrant. In some cases (such as the USA PATRIOT Act), a business receiving an administrative subpoena is prohibited from notifying its customers of the existence of the subpoena, and the entire process is carried out in secret.
But in recent years, government agencies have begun to complain about the burden of issuing administrative subpoenas, because the targets of their investigations sometimes have the temerity to challenge them.
For instance, you may have read about the libraries in Connecticut who challenged the FBI’s authority under the USA PATRIOT Act to issue a type of administrative subpoena called a “national security letter.” The libraries—the identity of which has been sealed at the insistence of the FBI—protested the fact that they weren’t able to speak out about the use of such national security letters during the recently-concluded debate over reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act.
A federal appeals court upheld the gag provision, and forbade the library from speaking out. But the poor dears at the FBI were monumentally inconvenienced by the libraries’ courageous stand.
In response, the FBI and other agencies have come up with a way to avoid the messy paperwork necessary to obtain an administrative subpoena: get private companies to do the FBI’s job for them!
For over 30 years, laws like the Bank Secrecy Act have required banks to report details of their customers' cash transactions to the Treasury Department. More recently, banks, brokers, real estate agents, money services businesses, casinos, and many other businesses have been required to report “suspicious transactions” to the Treasury’s financial intelligence unit, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
But now, outsourcing intelligence gathering has taken on a whole new dimension. When you send a package by FedEx, for instance, you fill out the paperwork, pay for the shipment, and that’s the end of it, right? Well, not exactly. Indeed, FedEx and an increasing number of other companies now keep your personal information in a database and make it available to the FBI for “homeland security” purposes. No warrant, no probable cause…not even an administrative subpoena is required for the FBI to access the information.
“Outsourcing” intelligence gathering to private companies has many benefits from a government point of view. First, there are no messy laws or regulations to worry about because the customer consents to having the information released to the government under whatever contractual conditions apply. Second, private companies tend to do a much more efficient job than the U.S. government at spying on their customers. It gives “privatization” a whole new meaning!
But that’s just the beginning. A growing number of companies act as brokers for your personal information and sell it to the highest bidder. The most notorious of these is ChoicePoint, because its lax security recently allowed fraudsters to steal the identity of more than 145,000 persons whose records are in its databases. Among ChoicePoint’s largest customers are law enforcement agencies. And, while you’re legally entitled to a free copy of a limited number of reports that ChoicePoint provides to insurance companies, landlords or prospective employers, you’re not permitted to review the potentially much more damaging information provided to law enforcement agencies.
What You Can do to Protect Yourself
- Use encryption programs to protect your e-mail and confidential files. A good one is PGP (http://www.pgp.com).
- If you think you might be on one of ChoicePoint’s insurance, tenant or employee databases, get a copy of your record at http://www.choicepoint.com/factact.html.
- Review the contracts of Internet Service Providers, shipping companies, etc. to determine if you are giving them permission to share information with the government. If you are, consider using another company. (Incidentally, the U.S. Postal Service provides much stricter privacy protections than does FedEx, particularly for first-class mail.)
- Avoid the use of credit cards or checks for all but the most routine transactions. Financial transactions are among the most sought-after by government investigators.
- When in doubt, use cash. Begin stockpiling cash at home to use in place of credit cards and checks. But beware of large cash transactions (over US$3,000), which may, in some circumstances, be subject to mandatory reporting to FinCEN.
1. Guard your data. If a data broker or identity thief knows your name, date of birth, SSN, and residential address, they have enough information to steal your identity. Don’t give out this information unless you have no choice. For instance, when I fill out a form that asks for my SSN, I usually leave the entry blank. If it’s really needed, whoever processes the form contacts me. This rarely happens, but when it does, in almost every case I’ve been able to avoid disclosing this information, or I’ve been assigned a substitute number. I also don’t list my SSN on my checks or my driver’s license—and neither should you.
2. Contact banks, brokers, utility service providers, etc. and ask them not to answer inquiries about your account without a code word or phrase that you designate. Make sure the word or phrase wouldn’t be easy for an imposter to guess, such as your birthday or the last four digits of your SSN.
3. If you’re involved in litigation, ask that the records be sealed. If that’s not possible, you may have the right to request personal information such as your SSN, bank account numbers, etc. to be placed in a confidential addendum that can’t be retrieved without legal authorization.
4. Guard your residential address. Don’t list it on your driver’s license, stationary or anywhere else. Instead, rent a mailbox at a mail receiving service (e.g., The UPS Store, http://www.upsstore.com) and imprint this address on the license.
5. Use business entities to hold leases, own vehicles, take out utility services, etc. If you rent your residence (recommended because it will make it more difficult for stalkers or other undesirables to find you), consider forming a simple business entity, such as a domestic limited liability company (LLC), to hold the lease. You can use the same (or, ideally, different) LLCs to own your vehicle, obtain utility services, etc. You may need to identify yourself as the owner of the business entity, but don’t have yourself recorded as the account holder. If your name must appear at all on account records, it should merely be as a person to contact in an emergency.
6. Consider a “land trust” to cloak your ownership of real estate. This is a specific type of revocable trust created by state statute. Illinois and Florida land trusts, for instance, provide anonymity for the beneficial owners of the trust. In addition, the trustee can be a business entity, further shielding your identity. There is generally no requirement to register the trust, although its name as owner of the real estate will appear in public land records.
7. Move “nest egg” assets outside the U.S. into offshore jurisdictions that are serious about preserving privacy. The egregious violations of privacy we accept in the U.S. for the sake of “convenience” simply aren’t tolerated in countries like Switzerland and many other offshore centers.
Your Life is an Open Book...If
- You've given out your SSN to anyone in the past 6 months...
- You belong to any church or organization...
- You hold 50% or more of your assets in any U.S. bank...
You're an easy target for unjust lawsuits, asset forfeitures and identity theft.
I'll show you 109 ways to protect your privacy and property rights - and secure your wealth - using the secrets of the United States Witness Protection Program... Click here for details.