Creativity and Security

Last month, in an effort to make contact with a "hard-to-reach" client, I packaged up a trac phone with a cryptic message to expect a call at 5 pm sharp the following Monday. I failed to note that the following Monday was President's day holiday. Whoops! No one but security at the Bank that day and a non-descript manila envelope tends to get attention when it has no return address and has electronics inside it.

By the time the target had returned from Holiday, security had full possession of my creative calling-card. There was no way I was going to make contact with him....especially after Homeland Security gets a call from the Bank where I sent it.

I received a call from the Bank's Head of Security shortly afterwards. After a brief interrogation, he sceptically began to believe my story. They tracked me down by way of the only number still in the phone call history.

Then I got the phone call I was wanting in the first place. The Client was laughing his head-off and asking me if I wanted a full-body cavity search with that phone.

While an occasional creative contact method may be required, make sure you think through the logistics and possible consequences first.

I have learned an important lesson this week. Note to Self!