General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWho among us hasn't purchased burner phones?
Who among us hasn't purchased burner phones and paid for them with cash?
I mean sometimes people, like Congressmen and presidential staff, don't have a good, available, secretive, means to communicate with persons of interest.
Who among us hasn't purchased a burner phone to call an enemy of ours to threaten him and his family and then throw the phone away?
If a tree falls in the forest, IMO, if no one records it, it doesn't make a sound.
LakeArenal
(28,845 posts)But then, my phone doesnt need to hide from anyone.
CatWoman
(79,302 posts)That's exactly what I thought of... The Wire
whathehell
(29,090 posts)I can hear it.
gab13by13
(21,402 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)just aren't that popular here. This is a Democratic forum, after all. We're far from perfect, of course, but also of course mean people are more prone to those behaviors.
Btw, idealism is different from integrity and decency, but lots of those are still around too, just feeling battered.
milestogo
(16,829 posts)I used to have an inexpensive phone on a month to month plan... but it would have been traceable to me.
gab13by13
(21,402 posts)You also probably made the mistake of not paying cash for it, or maybe even looked directly into the store's security camera?
milestogo
(16,829 posts)that I drove to regularly.
This was a long time ago.
ForgedCrank
(1,782 posts)except on breaking bad with one exception.
At a previous job, everyone had their own company cell phone, but due to on-call rotation of the department, it became an issue of confusing execs and everyone with the weekly changing on-call phone number. We wound up buying what would be considered a burner phone with limited minutes on it (since it was a very low volume emergency only after hours number), and just passed the phone around when the rotation changed. It sucked because when it was my week to be on call, i had three damned phones I had to carry around, the burner, my individual company cell, and my personal cell. I tried just using the forwarding to send it all to one phone, but got in trouble for "personal use" by getting personal calls forwarded to the company cell. It was a real pain in the ass.
gab13by13
(21,402 posts)don't try to get hired in a GQP administration.
ForgedCrank
(1,782 posts)J/K hehe.
I'd rather starve that go to work for any of those back stabbing imbeciles.
Tribetime
(4,702 posts)Midnight Writer
(21,795 posts)Bought a Trac-phone years ago (yes, it is a flip-phone) and paid with cash.
I renew service buying cards at store with cash.
I don't use any of the services (like texts or messages or answering service), only make an occasional phone call, maybe three or four a year.
As far as I know, no one knows I have it and there is no money trail tying me to it. I reckon if some sleuth who knows about these things put some effort into it, they could figure it out.
Nothing nefarious. I don't like telephones in general and I went for the cheapest thing I could find.
llmart
(15,552 posts)I carry it with me in case there's ever an emergency. So far, after about 20 years, I've never had an emergency
And yes, my kids make fun of it.
electric_blue68
(14,933 posts)Bucky
(54,065 posts)tl;dr = go to Target
How to Buy a Burner Phone
electric_blue68
(14,933 posts)... when it's safe for me to do some marching again (who knows when that'll be).
🤔 Considering how edgy the police can be I wouldn't take my smart phone to protest and I mean a peaceful protest/march anyway.
dalton99a
(81,570 posts)LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)Some volunteers are afraid to use their person phone to phone bank..
For whatever reason...Many times they are afraid that voters will call them back...Others might have a government job and don't want to be identified as volunteering for a campaign etc.
greatauntoftriplets
(175,749 posts)GoodRaisin
(8,929 posts)if I did need it, which I dont.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)wouldn't call it a "burner" unless you were planning on using it for illicit purposes before destroying.
LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)They are often purchased by campaigns in small numbers for volunteers who do not want to use their personal cell phones.
Campaigns rely on volunteers and hires to use their personal phones. (It saves money)
But every once in awhile, you get a volunteer who is "paranoid" about using their personal phone. (They might be afraid that voters will contact them or that something negative will happen)
Many of these types are first time volunteers. So if a prospective volunteer says, "I would like to volunteer, but I'm afraid using my personal phone will make me a target"
For these types of hesitant volunteers, a campaign can provide them with a prepaid cell phone.
There is nothing nefarious about this.
GoodRaisin
(8,929 posts)given to me when I volunteered to make calls for the campaign. I didn't know it was considered a burner phone.
LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)I used my phone when I volunteered for the Obama campaign.
I believe they may have had phones available, but I just used my phone.
Campaigns cannot afford to have numerous accounts for phones, so they just get cheap prepaid phones. When the campaign is over, so is the phone and/or charges.
I'm really surprised they didn't ask you to use your phone!
GoodRaisin
(8,929 posts)I was just told to come pick up my phone and call list.
LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)Yes, it happens!
Nowadays phone banks are all going to virtual.
Response to gab13by13 (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
DFW
(54,436 posts)Never had any use for one (no relation to Quigley)
Chuuku Davis
(565 posts)I have one for CraigsList and Marketplace deals
Liberal In Texas
(13,574 posts)I've used it a couple of times when I've sold a couple of cars. I didn't want to put any of my real phone numbers in the ads. I get enough spam calls as it is. When the TracPhone rang I knew it would probably be an ad response and then would check the VM for the callers number and call them back.
Lucid Dreamer
(584 posts)I've had mobile phones since 1990 when they were expensive and BIG [came in a huge/heavy purse-sized bag].
I've used online marketing before w/ no problems. But now I want to sell a vehicle and your advice sounds just what I'll do.
Thanx.
Been in high tech all my life and now that I'm retired I hate almost all of it.
samnsara
(17,635 posts)LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)Their use is often temporary and the number is not assigned to an individual account.
You can buy them at Dollar Stores, gas stations and WalMart and online.
Many times, they are "no frills"...
They are sometimes used by limited income people, who can't afford plans. They are often flip phones..
Sometimes old phones can be converted to burner phones. I should have done that with my old flip phone, but oh well.....
orleans
(34,073 posts)you said prepaid -- is there a charge per minute to talk on them?
LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)KentuckyWoman
(6,692 posts)I had one before and loved it. They stopped supporting it so I spent $39 on a new one that works on 4G. Still only does calls and text. I still have the old minute plan and have nearly 10,000 minutes. Every year I add an annual card. The last time it was $129 for the year.
One of my nephews teases me about being an opiod kingpin since I use a "burner" phone.
It is cheap. It fits my needs. It fits easily in my pocket. I never butt dial anyone.
LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)People are bashing these as if they are only for nefarious purposes, but they have a niche.
I have never owned one, but for those who use a phone as a "phone" and not an "internet device", they are an affordable option.
Kaleva
(36,342 posts)"I created an alias awhile back & I use that alias to shop on line.
The alias has it's own e-mail address, cell phone and number, and on-line accounts at Amazon, Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, and Target. When paying, I just use non-reloadable or gift cards which I get at nearby Dollar General and Family stores. Merchandise is sent to another place and not my home.
Using an alias is perfectly legal as long as you aren't using it to commit fraud or other crimes."
" I use the DuckDuckGo search, Brave browser and Tor
https://www.torproject.org/download/
Tor hides your ISP address but you'll have to jump some extra hoops in order to log on to some sites. Amazon requires a one time password to be entered that they send to your email address that you are using. Walmart makes you go through several of this pictures where you prove you are not a robot. Another thing is that pages take longer to laod when using Tor."
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212808479
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)If the right people went looking for me I'm sure I'd been caught 80% of the time.
God I miss the truly sneaky shit.
FakeNoose
(32,748 posts)... for something that I only used occasionally or not at all. This was probably 20 or maybe even 25 years ago. All of my serious phone calls were done on a landline (of course) and my emails were sent by desktop computer-connected-to-modem. Didn't we all do that at one point? I was really a holdout in getting a regular cellphone though, because I didn't think I needed one.
Finally my son got me a smartphone and put me on his T-Mobile family plan because he was tired of me changing the phone numbers on the prepaid phones all the time. I still don't use it very often but at least I have something from THIS century.