WHETHER you’ve won the lottery and need to vanish for a while, or are just looking for the best way to stop others from snooping on you, the main essential you need to conceal is your internet IP address.

Your IP address identifies your computer or mobile phone by location, and can be used to find you, or show others if you are still active.

RELATED: How The Media Tracked Down An $80 Million Powerball Lottery Winner And It Was Too Easy

And if you think that you can log in anonymously from an internet cafe computer and stay under cover, that’s simply an urban myth.

But there’s always a solution, and this one is very good. It’s the Express VPN.

So what does VPN stand for?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. This fancy term means you can browse truly anonymously anywhere in the world, safe in the knowledge that you won’t be found.

Without a VPN, you can run up against big problems:

• Anyone can see your internet traffic and trace you through it.

• Your internet service provider can monitor your activity and share it with other organizations.

• Governments can restrict your access to content, and corporations can exercise price discrimination against you. I’ll tell you my problem with this below.

• You’re vulnerable to cybercrime and snooping, especially on public wi-fi at airports, malls and cafes.

Over the years I’ve looked at many of these internet privacy services, but there is only one that I consider the very best VPN service.

It is called ExpressVPN and I’ve used it for the past two years. And it also has one feature I’ve not seen anywhere else.

When other VPNs connect with you, they keep logs that can be requested by authorities.

But ExpressVPN never logs your internet traffic or VPN connections. In fact they hired PriceWaterhouseCoopers to successfully verify this.

That means you won’t be matched with an IP address or time stamp. And that means IP addresses cannot be traced back to you.

Like Elvis, you have left the building!

Other VPNs claim they do this, but often won’t provide much detail on it. ExpressVPN do - and stand behind their claims.

ExpressVPN can be used for accessing internet services outside your country.

I use it to legally get research access to several USA state lotteries that geoblock (deny access) access outside their state.

Also in these cases you will not be able to purchase tickets if you live outside the state. This is what the North Carolina Lottery says in their FAQ:

“What is geolocation and why do you have to be geo located to purchase online?

You must be physically located in North Carolina at the time that you make a purchase or deposit funds. All purchases and deposits must be made within North Carolina borders and will be checked with geo location technologies on your desktop or mobile device.”

ExpressVPN is lightning fast, without any lag. I don’t notice any difference in access speeds with it turned on or off, and I have an iMac, iPad and iPhone enabled.

You can have up to 5 devices connected at one time, including a router, with the ExpressVPN app.

It doesn’t matter whether you have Android, Windows or Mac, Apple TV, Playstation, Xbox or many others - they all work seamlessly.

The only downside to a VPN that I have found is that my online banking service will not recognize me, so I simply turn the VPN access off with a quick click so I can log in.

After I finish I turn my VPN privacy back on again in an instant from the small window, it’s that easy.

The service is easy to set up on any computer or phone and use, fast and amazingly affordable for all the features they provide, starting at around $8/month.

I’ve used ExpressVPN for the last couple of years, and it has proven so good that I decided to represent them as an affiliate, which is why I happily promote it here.

My brother was the unfortunate victim of identity theft. It took him nearly two years to clear his name with all the organizations that were involved, from his driver’s license to banks and stores.

He could have partly prevented all that trauma quite simply by having a VPN service. I always remember his struggle when I recommend ExpressVPN to others. I know you won’t want to go through the same pain.

However, unlike householders who commonly only buy security cameras AFTER they have been burgled, you now have the knowledge and foresight to safely secure your internet future.

You can try ExpressVPN with 30-day’s money back, but I can guarantee you will be pleased enough to keep it.

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What if you want to disappear completely?

Here's how anyone can disappear from sight online with a few more steps.

If you don't have the time or skills to follow it through, you can ask someone to follow the steps on sites like JustDeleteMe.

Use these steps to keep pesky busybodies away from you and your new money.

Here are 9 guaranteed ways winners can go to ground to reduce their public exposure and problems:

1. Contact a lawyer and have a legal body formed - a trust or corporation. This will allow you to spend the winnings however you like without identifying yourself personally.

2. Start by depositing the funds in a new bank account that can't be touched for 6 months. Not only will this allow your emotions to simmer down after the win, it also prevents you from giving it to anyone without due thought.

3. When you deal with banks or legal staff, go to upper management. Make an appointment by phone and mention the amount in passing. Don't stand in a queue waiting for a teller - those days are gone for you! It's white-glove treatment from now on.

4. If you have a business that can be traced to you, sell it. After all, you probably won't need the stress and daily chores that every business has. If it is a profitable business (and very few are), think twice about putting it under management - it could be more trouble managing the manager!

5. If you haven't already put a privacy block on your phones, do that now. Don't use your current cellphones - buy one with a prepaid plan and only give that number to trusted family and friends. Be prepared to throw it away and get another as soon as someone outside your known group rings you.

6. If you plan to stay in your own home, you will face all the problems you've read about here. So you may need to shift. Don't do what most people do and stay with a friend or relative - you can be easily traced by anyone who knows your name. Take a 6-month lease on a nice property in the countryside and prepare to enjoy it!

7. Keep a low profile during your time away. Do not buy expensive cars or draw attention to yourself by flashing wads of cash about. The idea is to let the fuss and attention die down. Six months is usually enough.

8. Don't use your current credit cards. Get a debit card or an anonymous ATM Debit card. And use ExpressVPN for your computer so that you can't be traced when you check your bank accounts or make plane bookings.

9. Have all mail - your bank statements, bills and correspondence, everything - sent to a private box that you rent under your blind trust name. Visit the box to collect your mail only at night after business hours.

NOTE: Like all affiliates, I receive a small commission if you buy through me. But you can be fully confident that I always personally recommend what I offer, and it never costs you any extra.