How To Create An Anonymous Burner Number (Guide)

Creating An Anonymous Burner Number

For a truly anonymous burner with strong OPSEC, here's a guide on how to create an anonymous burner number.

Tier 1: Prepaid SIM + Cash (Maximum Anonymity)

This is the only method that leaves no paper trail to your identity.

Acquisition:

• Buy a prepaid SIM from a convenience store, gas station, or big-box retailer (Walmart, Target). Pay cash. No credit card, no loyalty card, no membership.

• Don't bring your real phone with you. Your phone's location history would place you at the store at the time of purchase. Leave it at home or somewhere else entirely.

• Avoid stores with heavy CCTV coverage if possible. Don't park in view of cameras. Wear a mask (still socially acceptable post-COVID).

• Buy 2-3 SIMs at once from different stores so you have spares.

Activation:

• Activate on a clean device — a wiped factory-reset phone, or a cheap burner phone also bought with cash. Never insert the SIM into your personal phone (IMEI ties it to you).

• Many carriers now require some form of ID or registration (varies by country). In the US, T-Mobile Prepaid and some MVNOs still allow activation with minimal info. Give fake name/address if not legally required to provide real ones. Some carriers ask for an email — create a fresh ProtonMail or Guerrilla Mail address for this.

• Activate from a public WiFi network, never your home or work IP. Coffee shop, library, or a neighbor's open network. Better yet, tether through a device on a different connection.

Usage:

• Never connect the burner device to your home or work WiFi.

• Never call or text your real number from it.

• Keep it powered off and in a Faraday bag when not in use.

• After the engagement, physically destroy the SIM and device if they are no longer needed. Microwave the SIM, smash the phone.

Tier 2: Crypto eSIM (Good Anonymity, Less Legwork)

Services like Silent Link (silent.link) and Crypton.sh sell eSIMs for cryptocurrency — no name, no ID, no address.

• Pay with Monero (XMR), not Bitcoin. Bitcoin is pseudonymous and traceable. Monero is private by default.

• Buy the Monero through a non-KYC exchange (localmonero.co, bisq, or a DEX) or acquire P2P with cash.

• The eSIM is delivered as a QR code. Scan it with a clean device that supports eSIM.

• These are real carrier numbers, not VoIP — they pass SMS verification on almost any service.

• Typically short-lived (7-30 days) and data-only or with limited voice/SMS, so check the plan matches your needs.

Tier 3: MySudo (Decent Anonymity, Convenient)

MySudo is an app that creates virtual numbers not tied to your real phone number at the carrier level. It's not free, but it's better than TextNow for OPSEC.

• Pay with a prepaid gift card (bought with cash) through an app store account not tied to your real identity. Create a new Apple ID or Google account just for this.

• MySudo numbers are VoIP, so some services will block them.

• Good for engagements where you need persistent numbers without managing physical SIMs.

Device Hygiene

The SIM is only half the equation. The device matters just as much:

• Factory reset a cheap Android phone bought with cash. Don't sign into any Google/Apple account during setup. Skip everything.

• IMEI: Every phone has a unique IMEI. If you bought the phone with cash, it's not directly tied to your name, but if you ever used it on your real carrier account before wiping it, that IMEI is linked to you. Buy a separate burner phone.

• MAC address: Phones randomize MACs on modern OS versions, but don't rely on this alone. Never connect to networks associated with you.

• GPS/location: Keep location services off. Better yet, physically remove or disconnect the GPS antenna if you're comfortable opening the device. Some pentesters keep the phone in a Faraday bag except during actual use.

What NOT To Do

• Don't use Google Voice — it's tied to your real Google account and requires a real number for verification.

• Don't use TextNow or free apps — they log IPs, device fingerprints, and sell data.

• Don't buy a SIM with a credit card, debit card, or any payment method linked to you.

• Don't use your email, your WiFi, or your devices.

• Don't use services that require SMS verification to sign up for the burner service itself (a circular dependency that burns your real number).