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Gah...major OPSEC breach.

7K views 41 replies 36 participants last post by  MikeK 
#1 ·
I'm usually pretty careful about OPSEC. I don't hide my political views and thoughts about the economy, etc, but I never talk about what I have or what I do to prepare with non-preppers.

Yesterday I had the electricians in my house rewiring (replacing old fuse panel with new breaker box and doing some other odds and ends). I went off to do some work. As they were finishing off, one of the guys said he had a question...

HIM: "When we were labeling the breaker panel we had to check all the circuits, and I noticed in one of the rooms upstairs that you have some buckets up there...is that food?"

(no sense denying it, since they are all labeled...:( )

ME: "Uh...yeah. [downplay mode activated] I got all that stuff for Y2K and never got rid of it...I don't even know if it's still edible or not."

HIM: "I'm a preacher and I'm worried about the future, I was thinking about doing something like that...where do you get that stuff?"

ME: "You can try emergencyessentials.com or Walton Feed."

(I'm starting to think I might have just made a new prepper friend. We talk about some other stuff like the economy, etc. Then...)

HIM: "Well, if something happens I'll just come here, since I know you'll have something to eat!"

ME: :xeye: :rolleyes: :headshake: :zombie :eek: :mad:


In retrospect, I should have told them I'd label the panel myself. Also in retrospect, instead of politely saying nothing when he dropped that bombshell, I should have said "No sir, that's for my family, you'll have to take care of your own family."

Sigh...
 
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#4 ·
All my preps are hidden in cupboards, under benches, inside metal cabinets. Someone has to go pawing through things to find them.

This was done specifically so that any contractor, or friend, who happened into my house wouldn't think anything about what they saw.


Something the OP might consider (depending on how much stuff was compromised) is to donate the preps to the pastor's church. It would cost (though a tax deduction could result), but in doing so, you might get rid of the suspicion. Then, of course, replace them.

The problem now is who the pastor tells, not that he knows.
 
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#5 ·
I was picking up some buckets a few days ago and the cashier said, "You making fishing buckets or something."

I replied, "Something like that."

Then she said, "Yea, a whole bunch of people were getting buckets during the Y2K scare. I think they were burying food or something."

I started laughing. I said, "What nut jobs! But hey if it works for the squirrels and their nuts . . . "

Opsec intact. :)


PS - If someone can find my food storage, they are welcome to take it. Remember, people can't ask about what they can't see or stumble across. There are lots of ways to hide food. False floors, walls, ceilings, fake dog houses, . . . .lots of ways.
 
#6 ·
Find out what kind of a pastor he is, and whether his word.is good. Do a little digging around.

If he comes up good, explain to him how to get started and bring him up to speed with all of your Intel on our country and the globe, and perhaps you have just found a true friend who in the end will give his life for you if needed.

If he does not check out tell him NOT to come to your house when the balloon goes up.

Recon3
 
#7 ·
HIM: "Well, if something happens I'll just come here, since I know you'll have something to eat!"
LOL, you just found a new friend.

He will probably want to start coming over on the weekends for a cookout, and swapping stories, while he is eying your preps.

I wish I had an animated gif of something rolling on the ground laughing, just so I could post it in this thread.
 
#34 ·
That is what I am doing it is a very odd space to work with and I am going to build some wooden shelving that has low profile casters and fits tightly into the space. The false wall will be trimmed out exactly like the rest of the "Closet" and will only be accessible by unscrewing the false wall from the shelving. Open the door and it is a functioning closet. Unscrew the wall and it can store months if not a years worth of long term preps. This is in addition to all of the other hidden stores around the house.
 
#12 ·
LOL, too much effort. I'll just stock a few extra rounds for him & his friends. :thumb:

Seriously, he's a really good guy and I'm sure it's not a big deal. I just hate that "I'll come over when the balloon goes up!" reasoning. It's like saying "you do all the work and spend all the money, and we'll throw a party!" :mad:
 
#14 ·
The Directv installer saw mine and my safe but, he didn't say anything. It happens.
I think most installer & service workers will completely forget as time passes and would be hard pressed to remember
where that house was that had all that stuff...could be wishful thinking on my part too.
The few people at work that knew I prepped have changed jobs or moved away.
I moved too so, I have recovered most of my OPSEC. I won't make the same mistake twice.
Worse comes to worse, I'll throw em a bone.
 
#15 ·
Yesterday I had the electricians in my house rewiring (replacing old fuse panel with new breaker box and doing some other odds and ends). I went off to do some work. As they were finishing off, one of the guys said he had a question...
This is a very good point. I keep some of mine in my laundry room where my furnace, hot water tank, etc. is at so it is not uncommon that various contractors, meter readers, etc. have to go in there. I just stacked the few up in a corner and turned them so you can't read the labels and then put some paint rollers, pans, plastic stacked on top. To the casual observer they look like those big 5 gallon buckets of paint you get from Home Depot. I even splattered some paint on them and around the lids to make it more believable. Sometimes the best hiding place is in plain sight!

The rest are stored in places nobody ever goes in the house.
 
#19 ·
I think so, also. I wouldn't worry much about a contractor. I would just say something like: "That's not how it works. You feed your family and I feed mine".

Now a neighbor is a totally different scenario. This is the most serious opsec breach IMO. Even if they don't say "I'll come to your house".

I just redid all my preps because of this. I used to have stacks of stuff in the "public" pantry and kitchen cabinets. I moved it all to the store room, which I never let neighbors see. Now the public areas look like a normal persons, except maybe for the gallon jars of bulk food. "I buy at Sams".
 
#20 ·
If the "I'll just come to your house" had come from the average sheeple, I'd just blow it off. What would worry me is that this guy was already concerned with the future and interested in where to get those foods. That means his mind is actually on the subject, unlike the sheeple who probably forgot the entire thing 10 minutes later. This guy made a mental note, because it's something he already thinks about.

At that point, I think a valid option would be to follow up and see if you can get him to prepare. Since he's interested in it, he might follow through. At least he's a lot less likely to balk at it than the sheeple do when they find out it would take their bar hopping, flat screen TV buying money.
 
#22 ·
After the sprinkle-fest we had earlier in the year (Storm Watch 2011! Going to flood!), the made-for-California construction of my rented condo started leaking all over the place. For the last 8 months I've had contractors out to inspect, out to repair, back out to inspect, etc, etc. Most of my food prep is tucked away nicely in the kitchen and pantry, but it's hard to hide a shelf-mounted battery bank in the garage when they come to repair the garage. I've heard that a few times. :( Most people drop it when I tell them not to bother because I'll have the 12ga when I answer the door.
 
#23 ·
When people are hungry they remember where they saw food at. Besides what happens when groups of people come to his church and they re starving. Is he gonna not tell them? He is gonna come by and let you know its the Christian thing to feed these people. Sorry Thats why I feel long term food should go into root cellars and be sealed up so people dont even know its there.
 
#24 ·
Since he mentioned getting some himself. I'd of said cool, if this stuff goes bad I'll come to your house. As you hand him the check say, I can see you can afford more than me!!!

It is never a good idea to even hint at violence with strangers even in jest. Plus you've just broke OPSEC again by letting them know you have guns.
 
#30 ·
I think we need to take more advantage of such situations.

Get others involved. Such amateurs will have even bigger violations of OPSEC and the bad guys will go after them first, or

If enough people are storing food, none will need to come after use. For the lone wolf raider, we will have less chance of him hitting me if he finds it somewhere else first.

Safety in numbers.

Remember, you don't have to out swim the shark. All you have to do is out swim your buddy.
 
#37 ·
What preps I have are hidden in cupboards no one else notices or under beds. That is until now. My mum has moved in temporarily and has noticed things in her enthusiastic and thorough cleaning and tidying. I will now make a real effort to get her into preparing as well. Hopefully that will keep her from telling everyone about what I have. :(
 
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