One time use cellphone question?

[GoNE]

I have been working on a project for a while. Moving to a new phase I need to tap into what you guys think about "one time use cellphones" to provide antonym while making contact. What type of phone will provide call ability at the cheapest cost. Not ever used cellphones for this as I have always used email but I must speak to the person to insure that my message is received. IO have looked at Go phones and other but I am unsure as to what would be the least expensive. Looking for some guidance and it is appreciated.

[Syntax990]

Buy a phone from a charity shop. They aren't regulated and it probably wont get traced back to you. If you are lucky, you can get them for under 1USD. When you are done you can throw it away.

Of course there is always VoIP?

[Kulverstukas]

Then there's payphones and the cheap chinese GSM phones available at the gas stations, they are usually very cheap and can be thrown out after a couple of uses. I know that such phones are used in home-brewed GSM home alarm systems lol - wires soldered to the phone directly.

[gray-fox]

Then there's payphones

This though depends on where you live. At least in finland,  i could throw a guess that there is zero payphones these days in here. I remember seeing last one in my home city like ten years ago. But also noticed when i was recently in france that there you could still see those quite regularly.

[GoNE]

I should have given more info.
I am in the U.S. Payphones are not an option. Rarely do I ever see one that is working. But since I am calling all over the U.S, France, UK and Canada it would cost to much. Most of the calls will be inside the U.S to start with. The GSM suggestion I take you mean (Global System for Mobiles). Correct me if I am incorrect but many of the pay as you go are GSM. With prices all over the place. I mentioned "Go Phone" which is a no-contract rechargeable cell phone but again the prices are all over. Some as low as $15 and other upwards of $30. Since I have not ever used cellphones for this purpose I am just no sure. Don't want to pay much because the most it will be used is a couple of times.
I have been doing tons of research on government tracking of cellphones so it is very risky to use it more than a couple of times at best.
I could use all the input I can get and thanks for what has been put out there already.

[Syntax990]

Try Skype. It can call phones if you give it Skype credit and use it with proxychains for anonymity?

[GoNE]

Anything that can remotely be tracked scares me. I have thought about Skype, I do not in any way trust proxy. I have hacked through some wireless connections around here so I could do that as a proxy requiring me to go drive close to those wireless points. Open wifi scares me because of the ip cams involved.
If I use Skype then everything from setting up an account to making the calls need to be done close to that point using a hacked wireless I still cannot use it more than once or twice before they get raided by tracing their IP address. I know using a cellphone also requires that I move around, but I am not just sitting in one place where I may be seen.

[Syntax990]

If anonymity is your goal, and you don't want it tracing back to you in any way, maybe steal a phone? Other than that I have nothing else to suggest.

[gray-fox]

I don't know how prepaid plan thing works in US(if that is right word in english), but at least where i live basically every kiosk, convenience store etc. etc. sells those. So why not just buy bunch of prepaid cards from different places and non-smartphone in cash. There isn't then really much that can connect you to those phone numbers then, AFAIK. Just keep changing those sim cards.So you kind of look like multiple persons in call records instead of one, with all those phone numbers.
So basically that or then like Syntax suggested skype(/ some other voip service) + proxies or something like that.


edit: I think here is quit good list of your options: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0%2c2817%2c2420131%2c00.asp and ofc there is still message in a bottle way. [emoji14]
Without knowing what you are doing, i kind of get feeling that your tin foil hat might be bit too tight. No offence..

[GoNE]

Yeah, that is where I am leaning. They have what is called "Government phones" here where if your on government assistance you get one for free and get somewhere around 200 minutes per month. BUT some people have been busted using those because most have already been used in crimes so when you power it up you get swarmed.
The prepaid option may be all I have left as you said using cash all the way through.

LOL, yeah
It's not my tin foil hat. I have gathered some info and plan to sell it. When the time comes then I can't use a computer unless as stated above.

I had seen the article you post above and thought I had read it. However after reading it I don't think I ever read it. I may need to start a new post if any thinks so let me know but what about using something like https://silentcircle.com/#pricing , it was mentioned in that article and I have not heard of this before. I bothers me because it still goes through a cellphone but maybe using it in conjunction with a "burner phone" and setting the account up using a throw away email from another IP address. What about your input on this idea. I may get a couple more calls per "burner phone" using this. Also, in that article they mention cheap GSM unlocked phones Amazon and eBay. My opionon the cheapest I have seen are $119 and up.

[gray-fox]

Also, in that article they mention cheap GSM unlocked phones Amazon and eBay. My opionon the cheapest I have seen are $119 and up.

Have i understood right that most of the phones in US are sim-locked to one operator? Isn't that what you mean by GSM unlocked; that they're not bind to one operator? That just seems so strange to me because here where i live 99% of phones are "unlocked". There are few phone subscription types where sim's ared locked but operators basically has to unlock them in year or two, depending on subscription.

but what about using something like https://silentcircle.com/#pricing , it was mentioned in that article and I have not heard of this before. I bothers me because it still goes through a cellphone but maybe using it in conjunction with a "burner phone" and setting the account up using a throw away email from another IP address. What about your input on this idea. I may get a couple more calls per "burner phone" using this.

That might be good way to go. I haven't really never used those kind of apps but there is few cons that comes in mind. It requires smartphone. After all, when compared to non-smartphone, there are many more things that are threat to your privacy/anonymity when using smartphone. Also for those apps to work properly both caller and receiver needs to have app installed. It also requires some trust to that company where you are getting the service. Even with fake id. But ofc. there is many obvious pros with those if they function as they are supposed to.
Those are just few thoughts that came to my mind.

I stumbled upon very intresting kickstarter about encrypting calls, check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/620001568/jackpair-safeguard-your-phone-conversation
edit:Their actual website www.jackpair.com

That is something that i might buy even if i wouldn't need it. I just love that type of hardware gadgets. [emoji14]

[ysbryd]

Things to consider:


1) Any tracking, tracing, or retrospective investigation of your cellphone use will make use of not only the telephone number (which is linked to the SIM card) but the IMEI number (which is linked to the device). Therefore, don't make the mistake of getting multiple SIM cards and using them in the same phone in order to obfuscate your activity, because the call traffic data will all be linked by the same IMEI and so the changing telephone number will be pointless.


2) Any app that uses data (as opposed to voice) as a means of communicating (eg. Whatsapp, Viber, etc) is much harder for the authorities to work with. However, the downsides are that you require a smartphone (ie. more expensive) to use them, and also you do not know the developers of the app, and how they might be storing data without your knowledge.


3) Many public wi-fi hotspots retain MAC address records, so although you might not provide any identifying information when using them, it will be possible for the authorities to link uses at multiple locations and multiple times by way of the common MAC address. This may or may not bother you, I don't know.


4) Be aware that moving around the country with your burner phone switched on, at the same time as having your own, non-burner phone switched on, is a weak point. You might be inadvertently leaving a trace whereby they see that both phones are following a common route, and are therefore in the hands of the same person.


If it were me, taking top precautions, I'd go out and buy a used cheap cellphone and SIM card from a second-hand shop.  Leave your own phone at home and travel a couple of miles each time you use the burner, to avoid the link to the same cell tower as your own phone. Remove the battery from your burner whenever it's not in use. When you're done with it, remove SIM and destroy SIM and phone separately. Encryption is great if you suspect your communication might be intercepted, but if you're using a burner from a random source, for short period of time, there's no reason to think that comms from it are being intercepted. (Consider, though, whether the person you are communicating with might be having THEIR comms intercepted.)

[gray-fox]

3) Many public wi-fi hotspots retain MAC address records, so although you might not provide any identifying information when using them, it will be possible for the authorities to link uses at multiple locations and multiple times by way of the common MAC address. This may or may not bother you, I don't know.

With android there is this pry-fi app(check the "war mode") that can help with this issue: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2631512 . Or you can just change your mac-address yourself.
Android MAC randomization has been talked a bit more in here if op is intrested: https://evilzone.org/index.php?topic=16773.0

But anyway, you made some good points ysbryd.

[GoNE]

I am going to attempt to get everything in here with the time I currently have and see what you guys come up with. However I want to say that with the way we are hashing this all out I think people will find this a good post. I may, if it works try to submit a bit of a tut on how it worked for me so others have it as a resource.
OK, Silent Circle if you look at the pricing page,  https://silentcircle.com/pricing if shows that while you can make unlimitted calls to people who are using the service you can also call people who do not have the service and their lowest priced plan shows you can make 100 calls to regular phones. My research shows when calling someone not using the service then only your side is encrypted. I am also in control of my encryption key. I can generate my key each time I make a call and the key is not logged in any way. I also found a video where the CEO was interviewed by a guy and the posted interview was very telling. They did have a end to end encrypted email service but they shut it down last year because they found that it was not as secure as they had thought. He said it was shut down and the drives wiped then taken out of service because .... as he put it. You cant be compelled to turn over what you don't have. It was a paid service also.

I have been researching the Mac/SIM/IMEI address issue and I have bought one of those metal or copper cases that you can put your chipped credit cards in for privacy. I plan on putting the phone in it after removing the battery and wrapping it in tin foil when not in use. But remember I only plan to use it a couple times. I think these precautions will cover the phone and no, I do not plan on having my normal phone with me at any time while doing this. The one thing I am still looking into. I have a source that I trust and he has told me about a chip that has also been in all smart phones world wide. This chip broadcasts an intermittent chirp of data and runs for a while even if the battery is pulled out. He said it is in every phone made atleast in the western countries. If it is removed then the phone will not work. With my snooping I have found only one document to back this up and it was not online.

Someone asked and yes in the states every phone is locked to work only with the subscriber your contract is with. You move to another subscriber then you must get another phone.

So I am on my way thanks to this post in finding out important info that I need, I want to thank everyone so far and ask that any further info keep coming. I am also working toward a anon payment method. Leaning toward Darkwallet right now. Since I only want to move the funds around long enough to erase tracks before I try to turn it into cash and not hold it anywhere for a long time.

I may post again once I look over those links everyone has been posting for me. I do very much thank everyone!

[shome]

Buy one from a Gas Station with cash, and pull a Gus Fring when the call is over, and wreck it and toss it in the trash. Not too helpful, but my opinion at the moment.