Creating and Maintaining Covert Social Media Accounts

Course Overview:

This one-day, hands-on course is designed to equip law enforcement officers with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to develop and manage covert or alias social media accounts for investigative purposes. Attendees will learn step-by-step how to safely and legally create undercover online personas, maintain operational security, and build credible digital footprints that withstand scrutiny from both suspects and the courts. The training covers legal considerations, departmental policy compliance, security best practices, account creation techniques, and evidence documentation standards. 

Topics Covered:

• Legal and Policy Considerations for Undercover Social Media Operations

• Departmental Approval Processes and Policy Compliance

• Planning and Developing a Realistic Alias Profile

• Selecting Appropriate Social Media Platforms Based on Investigative Needs

• Setting Up Anonymous Emails and Burner Phone Numbers

• Step-by-Step Account Creation (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat)

• Techniques for Building Profile Credibility and Avoiding Detection

• Security and Anonymity Best Practices (VPNs, Proxies, Device Isolation)

• Identifying Targets and Collecting Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)

• Documentation Standards for Evidence Collection and Court Presentation

• Case Studies and Real-World Examples

• Review of Useful OSINT Tools and Resources

By the end of the course, attendees will have created functional undercover accounts and be prepared to deploy them effectively in open-source and social media investigations.

Students will be given a FREE list of investigative resources in the class and shown numerous free databases/resources during the class

COST:

$250 per student

$225 Groups of 3 or more