Stealth shopping

Tools and equipment to get the job done.
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CookieThief
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Stealth shopping

Post by CookieThief » Thu Jun 30, 2016 8:39 pm

When it comes to buying gear which is better, online or a store to see if it is quality? Does it depend on the gear? Also if one is buying "questionable" items how would one buy them without drawing attention. Knifes, lockpicks, climbing gear, or whatever the opper wants.
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Xanatos
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by Xanatos » Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:09 pm

People don't tend to ask questions, especially online. For online purchases though always do your research to make sure your product is up to par; find out all you can about the manufacturer, the product specifications, read user reviews and shop around for an outlet that sells it cheaper. For in-person purchases you'll be able to inspect your gear on the spot, but if you're concerned about drawing attention try and spread out your shopping instead of purchasing it all in one place. Buying a knife, balaclava or a set of lockpicks doesn't draw much suspicion, but buying all three at once can set off some alarm bells. And have an excuse ready just in case the dealer pries; a simple "it's just a hobby" will suffice. If you're really paranoid you can buy some other gear on top of it; some other cold weather gear to go with your balaclava, some survival equipment to go along with your knife, etc.
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CookieThief
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by CookieThief » Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:56 pm

What about the age old question of buying something online but not wanting it to be shipped to you address. PO boxes, abandoned/empty for sale houses, and a friends place are the main answers, I can't think of anything else though.
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Xanatos
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by Xanatos » Fri Jul 01, 2016 12:26 am

Oh. Yeah, that's all I can think of as well. Unless you get it delivered to your workplace.
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Psychlonic
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by Psychlonic » Fri Jul 01, 2016 12:31 am

Most items can be excused as paintball or airsoft equipment which is generally my go-to explanation. Any similarly stupid reasoning works just as well. Zombie prepper group. Cosplay. As a bonus, you're instantly not a threat when you come up with shit like that because people usually think less of those types of people.
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Tongpu
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by Tongpu » Sat Jul 09, 2016 8:14 am

Psychlonic wrote:Most items can be excused as paintball or airsoft equipment which is generally my go-to explanation. Any similarly stupid reasoning works just as well. Zombie prepper group. Cosplay. As a bonus, you're instantly not a threat when you come up with shit like that because people usually think less of those types of people.
I couldn't agree more. When you compartmentalize yourself in someone's mind as something inferior to them then they don't perceive you as a threat to them and by extension to society. Everyone "knows" that politicians are career criminals but they never break their facade; giving the impression that they are genuine. Airsoft and paintball are good explanations for complete face concealment. If you act sketchy/nervous when purchasing the gear it will give off more negative "vibes" than if you're acting justified in purchasing whatever it is.

I would suggest trying to find gear on amazon as well as aliexpress ( for maximum cheapness/bang for your buck ). Don't be surprised if certain products take a long time to be delivered.

Also, don't discount the idea of creating your own gear. You can not only save money, but also, make gear that outclasses many of the available products online for whatever it is you're trying to do.

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Xanatos
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by Xanatos » Sat Jul 09, 2016 11:21 am

We should have a separate thread for home-made equipment. Anybody here ever made their own opping tools?
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Psychlonic
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by Psychlonic » Sat Jul 09, 2016 2:46 pm

I'm sure a lot of us have made our own picks and wrenches at some point. I've made tons of non-vital gear and of course knives, even a flashlight at one point although those never saw use in night ops. Could be a good thread topic I suppose!
Tongpu wrote: I would suggest trying to find gear on amazon as well as aliexpress ( for maximum cheapness/bang for your buck ). Don't be surprised if certain products take a long time to be delivered.
A lot of low priced Chinese goods are becoming quality if you know what you're looking for, so definitely don't discount them. Another obvious point of course is that the items will go through customs so don't buy anything that'll be seized and waste your money. But yeah, if you find an item that's really good but really expensive, try looking for a Chinese knockoff and try to find reviews. You'll find in a lot of cases, the replica is as good if not better than the original. Maybe this is worth its own discussion as well.
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NINJAHAMMER
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by NINJAHAMMER » Thu Oct 27, 2016 2:08 am

Interesting topic. I often worried about how to purchase gear and keep it secret or worried that the authorities would somehow track it. But now that we are in the Internet age, it's a little different than when I was growing up and only one or two companies sold lockpicks or special weapons. There must be 100 sites in America alone that sell lock picks. It is much more important to use a money order in a fictitious name than to have the item sent to a different address. A purchase with a credit card is the real issue. Your credit card's records can be obtained with a search warrant by the authorities and a purchase from Southern Ordinance or Petes Locksmith shop will raise eyebrows. However, the police do not have time to call every company that sells picks and ask "Did a Mr. Ninjahammer buy anything from your company with a money order?" Sure, you risk having the item not being delivered or the money order being stolen but this method helps OPSEC (operational security). Another idea is to spend ten bucks, get some business cards and call yourself a company. For example, "Ninjahammer's Survival Gear" or "Ninjahammer, Auto lockout Services" , if the police ask you about a purchase, you tell them you moonlight as a locksmith or sell weapons and survival gear at local flea markets. Of course, the police can now say that you are a suspect, because you know how to use lockpicks but any lawyer in the world would point out that so do a million other people and if the police are already knocking on your door, you are already a suspect. You can also explain fingerprints on any found evidence (a dropped lockpick for example) as one that you must have sold at the flea market and it must have been used by one of your customers.

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Xanatos
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by Xanatos » Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:04 am

Good tips, although I suspect the authorities may demand a bit more proof than a business card if you tell them you're running a business (location of flea market, opening hours, etc).
We are all books containing thousands of pages and within each lies an irreparable truth.
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NINJAHAMMER
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by NINJAHAMMER » Fri Oct 28, 2016 12:57 am

You're absolutely correct, if you would pose as a company, you should build a basic background. Do the flea market thing a few times - you may even meet like minded night opers or have an opportunity to unload some ill gotten gains, . . . keep the flea market table rental receipt, take a picture, mount the first dollar bill you make in a frame, etc I carry a small aluminum ball bat in my car ; it's legal to carry whereas an expandable baton is questionable. I took a picture of my son with the bat and kept it in the glove box along with a tennis ball. If I would be stopped by the police , I could produce the picture and claim that I use the bat and ball to play fetch with my dog. Point is : have a cover story for your gear if possible . Another example is the use of metsubishi / eye blinding powder. If you carry the powder and it has fiberglass or metal shavings - it's a weapon. If the powder is made up of pepper, hot pepper, habanero seeds, etc it's a food spice that you inform the police " I put this spice on my cheeseburgers" ( God help you if they ask you to demonstrate however).

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Xanatos
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by Xanatos » Fri Oct 28, 2016 7:09 am

NINJAHAMMER wrote:If the powder is made up of pepper, hot pepper, habanero seeds, etc it's a food spice that you inform the police " I put this spice on my cheeseburgers" ( God help you if they ask you to demonstrate however).
Psychlonic actually tried cooking with some metsu-bishi that I made and it's not half bad. :D
We are all books containing thousands of pages and within each lies an irreparable truth.
What is locked, can be opened. What is hidden, can be found. What is yours... can be mine.

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NINJAHAMMER
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Re: Stealth shopping

Post by NINJAHAMMER » Sat Oct 29, 2016 3:07 am

I agree with Shattered, first rule is always STFU , when dealing with the law. You are also correct that for the most part, the police will not waste the manpower and time to investigate minor crimes by checking fingerprints. However, if a night op turns into a crime scene or God forbid a murder scene, fingerprints will matter and so will the origin of the tools involved. Usually "no body , no crime" makes sense to rational people and defense attorneys but it doesn't mean a hill of beans to the jurors. If you bought lock picks or get caught with picks or other nefarious equipment and the jury hears it, you're screwed. Even if your not guilty, you look guilty and most jurors are idiots and will find you guilty. You're also right about pre-paid credit cards . . . sorry, haven't used them , so the first thing I thought of was the use of money orders and they require snail mail . . . guess I'm showing my age. So to review, pre-paid credit cards, P.O. boxes or a friends address, buy from local stores / gun shows with cash, maybe even Bit coin and the Dark net, you are probably fine from police prying eyes unless you commit a murder or steal something important. One last suggestion, If you are traveling in a vehicle, make sure to transport any questionable gear in your trunk or under the hood. If the police stop you, they can search the interior of your car in order to protect themselves and do not need consent. However, they do need consent or a warrant to check the trunk and never give consent. This forces the police to get a warrant and it may have mistakes that a defense attorney can argue.

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