How to Potentially, Hide Your: Name, Email and Number, Using PayPal, Part 2.
“… for individuals experiencing domestic violence, (it is)
important to remain anonymous or shield identifying (information),
to make it more difficult for stalking or harassment to be perpetuated through technology.”
This helps:
“limit or control how personal data is collected and stored, as well as who can access and use it”
-The Tactical Victim-
It’s a Mindset, a New Way of Life 🔒
My First article on how to use more anonymous, secure and private payment methods, was here, on setting up a: Pay Pal Business Account.
I want to include this here, because the PayPal link feature I’m writing about today, may have some limitations.
Hopefully, we can use the PayPal.me/business name link, with a business account.
“What kind of PayPal account do I need?
PayPal.Me is open to all account types. However, business accounts can only accept Goods and Services* payments.”
- (this is what threw me off — I want to make sure you are as safe and anonymous as you can be.
2nd best:
Otherwise the Business PayPal Account, is your next best privacy-anonymity option.
⚠️ Just make sure the email you use for this anonymous PayPal account is Not used for anything else.
At the very least, make sure nothing can be found out about you,
→if someone google’s the email you use for the PayPal account.
For example:
🛑 If you use jed@gmail.com for the anonymous PayPal Account,
but you make the mistake of posting that email on a comment-picture on social media for someone to contact you with that email,
⚠ — your social media profile will come up, if someone google searches that email.
🛑 if jed@gmail.com, is put on a website you or someone else run’s, as a way to contact you,
the website will come up in search results,
⚠ if someone google searches jed@gmail.com.
- I know..its very time consuming and annoying.
- If you are in danger though, these steps are likely necessary.
Read the above “Pay Pal Business Account” along with the one on Email Name Security, to cover your opsec-risk bases).
If the link feature is only for a personal account,
I am not sure if it will hide your information still,
or do so as effectively.
→Let me know if you use this Link feature with PayPal and how it works,
I will get to using it as soon as I can.
The quick answer first: What it is and How to Set it Up
Use PayPal.me (it’s a link you send the person/vice versa)
How to set it up for maximize privacy, security and anonymity?
-Create a PayPal Business Account, with a business/anonymously designed email name, with an anonymous/business name.
(Ie, make sure your email and business name, doesn’t reveal information about yourself!)
Full article on Email Name Security
-The link will read: (according to the article I read)*
paypal.me/business-name
They won’t see your name, number or even email.
⚠️ If they only have this feature with a personal account, I think your name would leak then..
✋🏾maybe there’s a way to set up a personal account using a nick name?
They will get this link and just pay you,
Possibly…even if they don’t have the PayPal app **
- ✋🏾 *I have Not set this all up yet. It’s important for you to know this, as once in a while, something sounds easy, but gets difficult or more complex.
- 🠮 For example: read all of this and the one per business accounts
- *From everything I’ve read though, this sounds like a potentially good solution for at least some victims. Again, using a business email address, will work well too.
- 🠮** Here, they make it sound like you can accept money from people who don’t have a PayPal (which would surprise me):
- “Who can I request money from?
As long as PayPal.Me is available in their country and region,
anyone can send you money through your PayPal.Me link,
and even set up their own PayPal account if they need to.”
Want to be extra safe?!
- Wifi Saftey:
Use over your data (not a public wifi ever, unless you have a VPN).
-If you do have to use Public WiFi (like a coffee shop), use a VPN, to secure and hide your password as you type it in and use the PayPal site.
2. Way Extra
Your business email can be a secure email too, used with a VPN.
- Just Google “secure emails” and take a look at PC Mag’s reviews.
🛑 3. I would Not accept links from others, as they can be malicious.
So, use it for receiving money to be on the safe side.
How to protect yourself?
-Besides only clicking on links that are from only people you know and trust, (as well as having asked them if they sent a link),
there are a couple more things you can do to help.
Good articles on the topic-
- Anti-virus software does help, but it’s not perfect:
Ransomware and Phishing Attacks: Why Anti-Virus Software Can’t Save You - Anti-Phishing Software is as Important as Anti-Virus Software
- Malwarebytes-Phishing
A Basic Antivirus and More:
For a low yearly price, Surfshark’s One Plus Plan, comes with quite a bit.
-It includes an anti-virus (just a heads up, it’s not horrible, but it is not the best one either)
What am I Missing?
Attaching it to your chosen bank as well as what type of bank works (online vs brick and mortar).
However, I don’t think this is too difficult.
The Why
I won’t go into all the reasons you will want to hide your information during and after your Escape.
But, here’s a few examples to provide context to the victim and non victim:
6 Degrees of Seperation (or less)
- What if I meet someone from my small town where I’m hiding?
(Happened to me! Almost twice!)
Being Unlucky
- What if the person I’m paying, turns out to be abusive, a stalker, or uses my information wrongly?
(Yup, happened to me too! Victims cant catch a break)
Miscellaneous
What if, they post the payment on a social media channel?
(No, this didn’t happen to me. But, I just thought of this now)
I’m sure there’s more you can think of for yourself and your DV/Stalking situation, but these are the OPSEC Risks that first come to my mind.
Now that you can set it up, I’ll explain more on the principles we ate following that are foundational for people like us.
The How and Principles of Escape
1) Giving Out Less is better
One of the principles I preach (and practice), is to give out less information about yourself whenever possible.
A little creativity is needed sometimes.
Paypal.me/business or /pretend name, doesn’t get much more anonymous!
Principle of Layers
Remember that article on prison design?
Paypal.me/blah, is just that in practice.
Layers:
Your name is behind your bank account number (which does reveal the state your in), which is:
— — — — —
- behind a PayPal Business email,
— — — — —
- which is behind a link,
— — — — —
that doesn’t reveal any of what’s behind it.
Not bad.
— — — — — —
Ooh..the vpn too, which hides the data in transit ☺
Related Articles
- Make WhatsApp More Secure
- More Private and Potentially Secure Ways to Escape
-The Tactical Victim-
It’s a Mindset, a New Way of Life 🔒
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