DISCLAIMER: If you're an aspiring cyber-criminal looking for a "how-to" manual, please reconsider your life choices. This post is for informational purposes only.
Recently, a social engineer/hacker took to an deepweb forum to recount just how ludicrous a process it is to remain anonymous on the web in 2020.
The steps outlined below may give you a sense of just how trackable and public your activity on the web actually is, despite your current efforts to remain anonymous.
The following is given in list form for the sake of brevity. The order in which they are listed is intentional; the precautions listed here must be considered in the exact order in which it has been listed.
With that said, here's how to purchase sensitive data on the internet without leaving a trace in just 15 excruciating steps:
1. Go to a yard sale, estate sale, etc buy a laptop in cash, wear a disguise.
2. Load it up with tailsOS.
3. NEVER USE THIS COMPUTER ON YOUR NETWORK. EVER. NEVER USE IT FOR ANYTHING THAT HAS YOUR PERSONAL INFO ON IT, THIS IS A SECURED COMPUTER.
4. You are going to run noscript and tor.
5. Find a vpn online. Id recommend PIA.
6. Purchase some gift cards at walmart.
7. Sell the gifcards online using your personal computer or phone at home for Bitcoin.
8. Take the Bitcoin, sell it for zcash.
9. Leave your cell phone at home. Send 95% of your zcash to buy bitcoin using your tails system on a free wifi hotspot. Find a place with few cameras, wear your mask. The rest of the zcash is dead to you.
10. Use the Bitcoin using your tails system to buy the vpn using the tails system at a different location not tied to you. (Never connect it to your home network)
11. Find a totally different location. Hopefully at least 40 or 50 miles from your home. Best if you can drive part of the way and bike the rest of the way. Leave your cell phone at home.
12. Activate the vpn. Make sure noscript is running. Make sure tor is running. Make sure you are masked. Make sure you are on a public hotspot miles from your home, and you didn't drive your car to the place (if you must, park a mile away, but best if you can park farther away). If you bike, wear a headband and dark sunglasses with a facemask. No cell phones on you. No smart watches. Watch for cameras.
13. Access your data. Copy it to a new flash drive that you have. Access your data, and copy away. Don't look suspicious. No sunglasses indoors etc. Nothing to attract attention.
14. Disable the laptop. Make sure it is not on in any way. Remove the battery if possible. Leave. Make your way back to your car which is parked a safe distance.
15. That laptop never boots up again. Destroy it when you get home. Never access the flashdrive on a computer with an untrusted system. Ideally always boot a system with tails and no internet access at all.
14. Never use the vpn, excess Bitcoin or zcash again. That is all dead to you now.
15. Celebrate because you will never be caught.
If you came here looking for some tips and now you're left feeling confused, then cybercrime is NOT for you.
Personally, I don't think it's worth the aggravation or prison time. Afterall, you can just download AdWallet and make $10 bucks a month watching 30 second ads instead. You won't become rich, but you also won't become the focus of an FBI manhunt neither.
