Here is some good information for those of you that feel you need to practice techniques for security on the phone.
A good thing to have is a list of the location and telephone number of as many payphones as you can find. In your town and far away.
The reason for this is it provides you a tool to use for people to contact you or for you to contact them.
Think back to the scene in Dirty Harry where the killer made Clint Eastwood run all over the city answering payphones. It allowed him to observe Clint Eastwood and contact him with further instructions without Clint Eastwood knowing when, where or who.
Lets say you have a person who wants into a safe house, your group or whatever. If you meet him in the park they can have the place bugged, video tapped and set up to snatch you before you realize the little old cripple was an FBI guy waiting for you.
Instead you have the person go to the phone at Main and Wood in Jerkwater, USA at 0913 where you call him and tell him to go to the payphone at Dingle and Berry in Anywhere, USA. 10 miles away.
You can continue this as needed since you have an extensive list (remember to cross out ones you've used).
While he is there YOU can eavesdrop on HIM. Does he pick up a cell phone and call someone? Does he talk with someone there? If so dump him or whatever comes to mind. If you want leave a bag of clothes there and tell him to strip completely naked there and switch into those clothes.
This will allow larger "bugs" or surveillance gear to be removed and assess him.
If you are going to stick your neck out, make sure you know you can trust him. He won't know if you are near him or not. If he is serious he will follow orders.
The prepaid Cell Phone
I think next to a gun, knife and other assorted pocket items, the prepaid cell phone is one of the most necessary E&E survival tools we can have.
Figure when they come for you, your phone has been a government tool for some time as well as your cell phone and everyone you contact with them. If you've really pissed them off, friends and family members have had their phones tapped.
Also your land line and cellphone (as well as credit cards, bank account) exist only at the mercy of the government. Piss them off and your accumulated dollars and phone service vanish instantly. POOF!!!
Walmart sells prepaid cellphones as well as probably most other medium or larger department stores.
ALSO REMEMBER TO PAY CASH!!!!
You can buy the phones for $20 and cards for the same, more or less depending on minutes. You could keep a spare one in your SHTF, or bugout bag. You will have to buy a card every so often to keep it active.
This is cheap insurance if your cell phone dies for any reason. Keep in mind OPSEC when you use any phone. Malls, gas stations and other places are full of cameras.
I would recommend finding a phone that does not need another phone to activate it from. Verizon and a dozen other companies make them so I'm sure there are others. You could buy a dozen prepaid cell phones and cards today and put them away for that "rainy day". As long as you don't activate (and get a phone number) they will remain good. Having several of the same brand will allow you to use the same batteries and chargers.
Once you have this phone, you absolutely do not use it for regular calls, if you do count it as compromised. It needs to remain sterile today, for tomorrow.
You can add your friends numbers into it or carry a card with important numbers.
If you lose your cell phone you give up your contacts. Better would be to memorize them but under stress you won't recall numbers you don't call (such as their sterile prepaid phone). If you do keep numbers in your phone, use codes for the people, for instance XXXXX could be "old geezer". His number could also be changed a few digits to keep it secure.
For instance.
If his number is 123-456-7890 and you were born on 12/15, subtract 15 from the 456 to give you 123-441-7890.
Whatever you do make sure you remember it. This is not foolproof but will give you time if your phone is taken. A cell phone will transmit around the world as long as cell phones work and you have a tower. No radio can compare to them that we have easy access too.
