I know this subject about hobby/burner phones has been discussed at length however curious to know that given the newer sophisticated app's available for personal cell phones such as Burner that allows one create alternate phone numbers to text and make calls out on using their main cell phone wondering if these apps are a good substitute vs. having a separate hobby/burner phone? Are these app's as safe and private as having a separate phone?
Hobby Phone vs. Burner App's
- Thread starter alb
- Start date
No.I know this subject about hobby/burner phones has been discussed at length however curious to know that given the newer sophisticated app's available for personal cell phones such as Burner that allows one create alternate phone numbers to text and make calls out on using their main cell phone wondering if these apps are a good substitute vs. having a separate hobby/burner phone? Are these app's as safe and private as having a separate phone?
If the texts and calls are (and they are) made over your data line, there's still an IP address and that's still traceable. Not by your girlfriend or your boss, probably, but if the cops want it the cops will get it.
It isn't truly anonymous. Now, I haven't heard of even the cops in the States getting that serious about prostitution. They only get really serious when you start wiring money over state lines for this sort of thing. Pay with cash and carry a hobby phone that isn't traceable to you and you're in really good shape unless you get caught in the actual act. Stick to known, reputable providers and you should be fine.
Think of it this way: if you got a hobby phone and used your home's WiFi connection to book appointments, wouldn't that be traceable by the cops? What's the difference between using your regular phone and using a burner app through that phone?
Seriously, if you're too cheap to buy a ~$20 hobby phone and spend ~$50/month (and there are cheaper alternatives to each of these options) to keep it going for the sake of protecting your anonymity, I'm hoping you don't have much to lose.
I have an app I use for a work number to give out and the only issue I've run into is that it does not have a separate contacts, so any contacts I save show up on my main dialer- other apps might not be the same though. It's always obvious when I have a call or text come in through the app and if I ever don't want to receive them I can just exit the app.
The reasons I have for separating my numbers are different from the ones you might have though. I do see a lot of providers don't like app numbers so you might run into issues there.
The reasons I have for separating my numbers are different from the ones you might have though. I do see a lot of providers don't like app numbers so you might run into issues there.
Burner apps made more sense under the old laws when the primary concern was keeping secrets from a spouse. Unfortunately under the new law you have a risk that police can get a warrant to trace your call back to your IP, and then your IP to your phone, and then to you.
Whether the police will do that is unknown. Toronto police likely wouldn't bother but now that we have seen the RCMP getting involved to push the conservative federal government's moral agenda ask bets are off.
Whether the police will do that is unknown. Toronto police likely wouldn't bother but now that we have seen the RCMP getting involved to push the conservative federal government's moral agenda ask bets are off.
Even hobby phones aren't anonymous - If someone were to order one online for instance, the site still requires you to enter a shipping address, so you're still screwed. Personally I have given up the hobby so it doesn't matter to me, but either way it's still traceable.
Purchase in person, pay cash for phone/SIM and airtime, and activate over a public Wi-Fi hotspot.Even hobby phones aren't anonymous - If someone were to order one online for instance, the site still requires you to enter a shipping address, so you're still screwed. Personally I have given up the hobby so it doesn't matter to me, but either way it's still traceable.
But what if the police trace the phone back to being activated on some public wifi hotspot and they go back and look at the camera and see you there then, and they also know by the SIM that it was bought from 7-11 and they go back to that stores cameras and see you there. And what if you got gas at that 7-11 4 months earlier and they match you up to a picture from then, when you by silly mistake used your credit card to pay for that gas. Now they have your ass.
This all just sounds too CSI. What reason would the police have for gaining a search warrant to check IP addresses? Suspicion of purchasing sex? Why would they suspect that? This is a crime of opportunity basically. You get caught in the act.
This all just sounds too CSI. What reason would the police have for gaining a search warrant to check IP addresses? Suspicion of purchasing sex? Why would they suspect that? This is a crime of opportunity basically. You get caught in the act.
First, odds are any security tape would be long gone by then.But what if the police trace the phone back to being activated on some public wifi hotspot and they go back and look at the camera and see you there then, and they also know by the SIM that it was bought from 7-11
But more to the point they can trace your IP and seize your texts through standard procedure sitting at their desks filling out standard forms. No leg work. Getting security tapes from 7/11 would be devoting serious manpower to the case. Maybe for a murder investigation they would.
But tracing a phone number to an IP and then the IP to a data plan is something they can do routinely, with the right warrant. The phone companies are very cooperative and the systems have been designed to make it routine. The police only need the right warrant to get the information.
You focused on the facetious part of my post, not the real part. The real part being that all this is foolish, because what would cause the police to do any of that in the first place? Not a lot of legwork needs to be done to charge and convict someone of purchasing sex. Like I said, it's a caught red handed thing, not the result of a lot of investigation.First, odds are any security tape would be long gone by then.
But more to the point they can trace your IP and seize your texts through standard procedure sitting at their desks filling out standard forms. No leg work. Getting security tapes from 7/11 would be devoting serious manpower to the case. Maybe for a murder investigation they would.
But tracing a phone number to an IP and then the IP to a data plan is something they can do routinely, with the right warrant. The phone companies are very cooperative and the systems have been designed to make it routine. The police only need the right warrant to get the information.
If your level of risk-tolerance is that low, don't hobby. Seriously, pay cash for all, keep everything as anonymous as possible, and you will be fine.But what if the police trace the phone back to being activated on some public wifi hotspot and they go back and look at the camera and see you there then, and they also know by the SIM that it was bought from 7-11 and they go back to that stores cameras and see you there. And what if you got gas at that 7-11 4 months earlier and they match you up to a picture from then, when you by silly mistake used your credit card to pay for that gas. Now they have your ass.
Unless the RCMP under the direction of a moralizing conservative minister decides to go after all the clients of an agency after a raid.You focused on the facetious part of my post, not the real part. The real part being that all this is foolish, because what would cause the police to do any of that in the first place? Not a lot of legwork needs to be done to charge and convict someone of purchasing sex. Like I said, it's a caught red handed thing, not the result of a lot of investigation.
True, but then they'd still need recent evidence. E.g. ( I know for a fact that certain agencies keep records of previous client's phone numbers etc, even though they shouldn't) So, playing devil's advocate here for a second - they would have to prove that the clients on the client list or whatever purchased or attempted to purchase sex after the new laws came into effect. Don't get me wrong... it could certainly happen. However, I still believe LE would go for something that would net them the biggest bang for their buck (can't believe I just typed that! *lol*) - that is, by setting up an incall sting at a hotel for instance, and arresting the clients that show up. There are still some hobbyists out there who haven't changed the way they conduct their affairs, and I feel they will be the first ones arrested since they are taking the biggest risk.Unless the RCMP under the direction of a moralizing conservative minister decides to go after all the clients of an agency after a raid.
