250,000+ People Watched This Simple Tactic Save a Woman’s Sensitive Data

Why a decoy strategy can fortify your personal privacy and security

Imagine this: A group of robbers storm onto a public transit bus. They aren’t interested in cash or jewelry.

They’re after the one thing everyone carries—smartphones.

As the passengers scramble, one woman calmly pulls out a phone and hands it over. The robbers take it and move on.

But here’s the twist: the phone she handed over wasn’t her real one. She had a decoy, and her actual device—the one with all her data, accounts, and personal information—remained safely hidden.

We recently posted this video on our social media platforms, and it went viral, racking up over 250,000 views. People were fascinated by the simple yet effective strategy to protect their precious Apple iPhone or Samsung device.

The response got us thinking: why did this strike such a chord?

Because it challenges a fundamental belief we all hold—the idea that if we’re ever targeted, we only have two options:

comply and lose our valuable data or resist and risk our safety.

But this woman’s pre-planning and flawless execution introduced a third, smarter option—using deception as a defensive tool. Watch the video here. 👇

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The Power of Decoy Data

Most people think of privacy and security in absolutes. Either you have it, or you don’t.

Those people get it wrong though, and here’s why.

Privacy isn’t always about making yourself invisible — it’s about control.

And sometimes, the best way to maintain control is by strategically giving up something less valuable to protect what really matters. This is where the concept of decoy data comes in.

Think about how security via deception works in the physical world. Having a fake code for your alarm system (or even better, one that secretly alerts the police). Military operations intentionally leak false information to mislead adversaries about their true intentions. Putting lights on a timer at your home to make people think someone is home.

A similar principle applies to digital and personal privacy—sometimes, the best way to protect sensitive information is by distracting or confusing the Bad Actors with fake information.

Let’s break down how you can apply this principle in your daily life.

Small Wins: Easy Digital Decoy Strategies Anyone Can Implement

If you liked the idea of using a decoy phone, here are a few simple decoy strategies you can start using right away in your digital life:

1. Fake Email Accounts – Have a secondary email address strategy that you use for sign-ups, newsletters, online shopping, etc. This keeps your real email private and shields it from spam and phishing attempts.

   Why You Want to Use Disposable Email Addresses (Part 1)

2. Disposable Phone Numbers – Services like Spoofcard allow you to generate temporary phone numbers, perfect for situations where you don’t want to give out your real one. You can even change your voice.

3. Secondary Address – Publishing a fake address is a great way to throw off would be stalkers and attackers. As a bonus, it keeps your primary mailbox clutter free.

   Enhance Your Privacy With a Secondary Address and Phone Number

At the end of the day, privacy isn’t about disappearing—it’s about being one step ahead.

A More Advanced Approach to Decoy Data