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Tech-study-notes

Sock Puppets

A sock puppet is a fake online identity - a misrepresentation or alternate identity used for investigative purposes, research, privacy protection.

Why use sock puppets?

Types of Sock Puppets

Creating a Sock Puppet

  1. Generate a fake identity

    • fakenamegenerator.com - Generates complete fake profiles
      • Name, address, phone, SSN, mother’s maiden name
      • Coordinates, birthday, email
      • Customizable by gender, country, etc.
  2. Generate a fake photo

    • thispersondoesnotexist.com
      • AI-generated faces
      • Critical: These photos won’t show up in reverse image search
      • Unlike stolen photos which can be traced via Google/Yandex/TinEye

    Important: Never use real people’s photos (catfishing risk)

  3. Create supporting accounts

    • Email: ProtonMail (privacy-focused), Gmail (but requires phone verification)
    • Social Media: Twitter (X), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram
    • Tips
      • Accounts need history and activity to look legitimate
      • Don’t create accounts and immediately investigate
      • Post content, make connections, establish presence
      • Female personas are often more effective (social engineering advantage)

Operational Security (OPSEC)

Critical Rules

  1. Never use personal devices

    • Use dedicated laptop for investigations
    • Never log into personal accounts on this device
  2. Never use your real IP address

    • Use VPNs (but be careful – Facebook/social media may detect VPNs)
    • Ideally use VPN in same location as your persona
    • Alternative: Mobile networks work well
  3. Phone Numbers

    • Use burner phones (Mint Mobile recommended)
    • Can buy with virtual credit cards (privacy.com)
    • Use for verification, then switch to Google Voice
    • Destroy SIM after setup
  4. Payment Methods

    • Use privacy.com for virtual credit cards
    • Fund with specific amounts
    • Cards don’t tie to your real identity

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Facebook Example:

Never:

Deep-dive