The Complete Guide to Burner Phones & SIMs
This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step methodology for acquiring and using a ‘burner’ phone and SIM card for anonymous communication. Following these steps is critical to ensure the device is not linked to your real identity.
1. The ‘Why’: Understanding the Threat Model
A burner phone’s primary purpose is to break the link between your identity and your communications. It is not a magic tool that makes you invisible.
What a Burner Phone Protects Against:
- Identity Correlation: Prevents law enforcement or adversaries from easily connecting a specific phone number or device (via its IMEI) to your real name, credit card, or home address.
- Network Analysis: Makes it harder to map out your social network by analyzing who you call and text from your personal number.
What a Burner Phone Does NOT Protect Against:
- Interception: Standard calls and SMS text messages are not encrypted and can be easily intercepted by law enforcement with a warrant or by sophisticated adversaries.
- Location Tracking: While the phone is on, it is constantly connecting to cell towers, revealing its approximate location. This is why usage discipline is critical.
- Sophisticated Mobile Exploits: A simple feature phone has a much smaller attack surface than a smartphone, but it is not immune to advanced exploits.
2. The Acquisition: The Anonymity Foundation
This is the most important phase. A mistake here will compromise the entire effort.
Step 1: Prepare for the Purchase
- Cash is King: You will need cash to purchase both the phone and the SIM card. Do not use a credit or debit card. Get the cash from an ATM well in advance of your purchase.
- Leave Your Personal Phone Behind: Do not bring your personal smartphone with you when you go to buy the burner. This prevents location data from your personal device from being correlated with the time and place of the burner purchase.
- Dress Inconspicuously: Blend in with the crowd. Avoid wearing anything that makes you stand out.
Step 2: Purchase the Phone
- Where to Buy: Go to a large, busy retail store like Walmart, Target, or Best Buy. These stores have high foot traffic and handle many anonymous cash transactions, making your purchase unremarkable.
- What to Buy: Choose a simple, non-smart feature phone. These are often sold in prepaid packages.
- Recommended Models:
- Nokia 110 4G: A classic, durable phone with excellent battery life.
- CAT S22 Flip: A ruggedized flip phone that can run a basic version of Android, allowing for the installation of Signal if needed, but still maintaining a low profile.
- The Transaction: Pay with cash. Do not sign up for any store loyalty programs or provide any personal information.
Step 3: Purchase the SIM Card
- Where to Buy: You can often buy this at the same time as the phone. Look for prepaid SIM card kits from Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).
- Recommended Brands: Tracfone, Mint Mobile, H2O Wireless, Simple Mobile. These are sold in most large retail and convenience stores.
- The Transaction: Again, pay with cash. The SIM card kit will come with instructions for activation.
3. The Setup & Usage: Maintaining Anonymity
Step 1: First Power-On and Activation
- Location is Key: Do NOT turn the phone on for the first time at your home, workplace, or any location frequently associated with you. Go to a public area several miles away that you do not normally visit.
- Activation: Follow the instructions in the SIM card kit to activate the service. This can usually be done from the phone itself or by calling a toll-free number. If it requires an online activation, use a public computer (e.g., at a library) and the Tor Browser. Do NOT use your home internet.
Step 2: Usage Discipline
- The Golden Rule: NO PERSONAL DATA.
- Do not log into any personal accounts (Google, Apple, social media).
- Do not import your contacts. Manually type in the numbers you need for your specific purpose.
- Do not use your real name or any identifiable information in any profiles or settings.
- Single-Purpose Device: Dedicate the burner to a single, specific purpose or operation. Do not mix your activism calls with personal calls to family.
- Power Down: When not in use, turn the phone completely off. If possible, remove the battery. This prevents the device from connecting to cell towers and revealing its location.
- Travel Separately: Never carry your personal phone and your burner phone together when both are turned on. This would immediately link the two devices and, by extension, link the burner to your identity.
4. The Disposal: Completing the Lifecycle
When the operation is over or if you suspect the phone has been compromised, you must securely dispose of it.
- Deactivate Service: Stop paying for the prepaid plan. The number will eventually be deactivated.
- Destroy the SIM Card: Remove the SIM card from the phone. Use scissors to cut the chip into multiple pieces. Discard the pieces in different public trash cans.
- Destroy the Phone: The goal is to make the internal storage unrecoverable.
- Remove the battery.
- Use a hammer or other heavy object to physically destroy the phone, focusing on crushing the main circuit board. For extreme security, you can also use a drill to destroy the memory chips.
- Discard the destroyed components in separate, public locations.