Best Method to Purchase Goods Anonymously Online?

Hexa Fox

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Sep 8, 2013
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Hey guys I wanted to try out Tunnel Bear to secure my devices while on the go. I would like to do so without providing a payment method that is easily traced back to me. I was hoping that this community could help me in achieving this endeavor.

I tried to purchase one of the prepaid credit cards from a grocery store (cannot remember exactly which one), but they wanted to document everything from my shoe size to my social security number. It was quite ridiculous. I paid cash money by the way.

So is there one of these that I can purchase with cash money and use it like a credit card without having to fill out a similar form that would allow me to purchase a rocket launcher?
 

jimmyEatWord

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Mar 10, 2016
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It depends on the online store you are trying to purchase from , if your IP looks suspicious , they might want to look into your purchase ; even if the IP is from the same country you live in , your best shot is to buy a VPN service , instead of using proxy's and such .. , that you can switch many countries with .. but in the end it all depends on that specific store , i'd buy from amazon if i was you
 

Seankay

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Jul 20, 2016
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Good thinking to go for a VPN for such a thing but it isn't enough. For online services, I suggest to go for the option of Bitcoins as the payment method. Go for those products which allows to pay via bitcoin, even the VPN service itself. A part from that, use the VPN service to get Amazon gift cards and pay via that for grocery and other physical stuff that you want. You definitely need to type in your address for delivery but if you are ordering it from a credible site then there's no harm. These two things can really make a huge difference for your online shopping experience. I would also love to share this infographic which I found on InfoSec Institute's resources about online shopping threats it is an interesting one and can help you!
 

Hexa Fox

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Sep 8, 2013
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I guess I should have been a little more informative here. I am looking to purchase a subscription with Tunnel Bear anonymously. I tried to use one of the prepaid credit card to achieve this. However, like I mentioned they wanted to know literally everything about me. It wanted more information than an employment application, which is ridiculous.

Therefore, if I provide all my personal details with the prepaid credit card it defeats the purpose of me paying cash to remain anonymous.
 

Hexa Fox

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I do not mean to be offensive to others here... but it really sucks that this is probably going to end up the best solution lol. Are you being honest? Because I have done that before. Is there a way to locate a middle man to help me purchase goods and services online? Like a virtual private network for example, and other things as well?
 

MaDDD

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Jan 13, 2016
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I'm not so sure why there is such an importance on remaining anonymous, it all seems a little suspect like some illegal activity may be in mind perhaps. I could be wrong though...
 

Hexa Fox

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Why would you even want to insinuate something like this? People purchase virtual private networks anonymously all the time. It is why many such services offer alternative means of purchasing a subscription. Take for example, Private Internet Access allows you to use a Wal*Mart gift card. Pure ignorance on your part sir!
 

Hexa Fox

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I know it was some sort of Visa. I am not sure exactly what kind. It might have been one of the ones that you can keep reloading or something. That might have been why they wanted so much information. I only wanted to utilize it one time though.
 

MaDDD

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Jan 13, 2016
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If you'd like to point out the insinuation, I'd be happy to admit I'm wrong, as I clearly stated. I could be wrong but there is reason to perhaps be suspect (We all know people often use VPNs to do bad things, thinking they will never be traced). An opinion is not an insinuation and it's actually you baring ignorance to the fact of me stating that it seems.. Not IS suspect. Forgive me for my opinion though, I should've realise that people can take such things out of context.

Back on point though, going down the Bitcoin route is probably your best bet.
 

Hexa Fox

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Let us just say I know the importance of remaining anonymous on the Internet. Just do a quick search to figure out why everyone should invest in a solid virtual private network.

An important aspect to note about a virtual private network is the more information they collect the worse it is for you. For instance, this community rated "hide my ass" one of the best virtual private networks overall at one time. We now know that this is probably the worst VPN service available to date.

Because they were issued a subpoena that ordered them to turn over all information regarding a certain circumstance. We now know that when law enforcement searches through such documentation any incriminating evidence they find as a result of the legitimate search can be used against other individuals in a court of law.

If memory serves correctly they were only after a few and ended up prosecuting more after Hide My Ass revealed their records.

Now, what does this teach us? Simple, not only will Hide My Ass give you up without a fight, they keep detailed information about all their users that can be used against them later down the road. I hope that this does not violate policy here or anything.

To better protect yourself on the Internet you should always use the least amount of identifiable information possible when doing anything online. Therefore, when you purchase a virtual private network you should attempt to use a payment method that cannot be traced back to you.

I also wanted to point out that I absolutely agree with you. I am sorry if I insulted you in anyway.

I always considered Bitcoin, but the little I know about it began to seem complicated. Anything that is complicated can not be good right? I mean their are guides online that amount to novels when it comes to purchasing and spending Bitcoins.