How to Make your Online Purchases (Almost) Untraceable

Online personal privacy is a joke these days. Amazon.com knows your shopping history; Google knows what you search for. Just about every website sets a cookie to track your every move. Untraceable shopping is easy enough offline: just use cash. But what can you do if you want to keep online shopping private? Here are some techniques that you can use to keep your personal shopping habits to yourself.

1. Use Proxy servers: Your IP address is the identifying factor for all of your online activities. As long as you log in from the same computer system, websites know who you are each time you visit their pages. You can hide yourself by using software that encrypts and routes all of your traffic through proxy servers that mask your IP address from prying eyes.

2. Anonymous email addresses: Don’t use an email address that would make it easy for anyone to identify you. Sign up for a free email address at Yahoo! or Gmail. Be aware, however, that some sites do not allow purchases using these types of email addresses.

3. E-Payment services: Websites like Paypal.com allow you to transfer money using only your email address. Keep in mind, however, that if you’re using the same service to receive money, you’ll need to share your bank account information with the service provider.

4. Escrow services: There are a few websites, like Guru.com, that allow you to pay for services using their in-house escrow service. Both you and the person you’re paying will be identified only through your id numbers.

5. Delete cookies: Websites use small files called cookies to remember you during recurrent visits and track what you do on their site. Disable cookies on your system if you wish to remain anonymous.

6. Erase information: When you’ve finished making a purchase, log out and be sure to clear any payment information you may have entered. If the website offers to remember your credit card information, do not accept.

7. Ship to PO boxes: And finally, no matter what you do to remain anonymous, you have to provide a shipping address to have your purchase delivered. FedEx and UPS track their shipments, so if you want to stay anonymous, use USPS and accept deliveries with a PO box.


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One Response to “How to Make your Online Purchases (Almost) Untraceable”

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