I just read this article in Wired and it got me thinking, how long could you keep up a new identity and leave your previous life behind?
Vanish - Finding Evan Ratliff | Wired.com
Here are some stories of attempts that failed:
Gone Forever: What Does It Take to Really Disappear? | Vanish | Wired.com
There are various reasons that I can think of that would cause someone to want to leave their current life behind, however it is very hard to do. Like they said in the article, you can last one month without any problems, but after 3-6 you usually will make a mistake and get caught.
And in the modern age, it is very hard to run if you use any electronics or digital money. And I would assume that at least some security cameras (in casinos mostly) would be setup for facial recognition. Now, if you were leaving an abusive marriage or running from the mob, that might not be a concern. If you are wanted by the police, things may be different. And if you are a celebrity criminal and the general public knows who you are, your plans would have to be different as well.
There is also the movie "Into The Wild" that looks into doing this type of disappearing act, and is a little more successful at it. However, only a private investigator was looking for him.
What would you think the hardest part would be? Would you trust anybody in your current life enough to tell them? Would you know of someone that would help you? Have you ever theorized any details of your escape and how you would live? Would you need to make money, already have a slush cash account setup in case something like this happens, or would you live simply with very little in the middle of nowhere?
*Note to any Feds/law enforcement reading this: I have no intention of doing this, nor am planning any action that would even make me consider doing something like this.
**And it would be nice to have the Anonymous member posting option in this sub-forum.
***Don't post any details that could be used against you if you do have to do this in the future.