Imposters Declared Deceased in False Obituaries, Surprisingly Alive

Obituaries for writer Deborah Vankin were posted online in January. The obituaries included somber images and kind words. Along with the announcements, videos showed "news anchors" talking about her passing. The background photos featured a car accident, a coffin being carried out of a funeral home, and a candle next to her picture.

They did not provide details about her death.

One of the obituaries described Deborah Vankin as a respected journalist known for her eloquent storytelling and insightful narratives that shed light on the world around us.

Vankin was shocked to discover that news and videos of her supposed death were circulating on her cellphone, even though she was very much alive.

Unbeknownst to her, Vankin had fallen prey to scammers who create fake death announcements to attract clicks and generate ad revenue.

Some individuals known as "obituary pirates" are now using AI to generate death notices filled with popular search terms, causing confusion and false information, according to experts.

One day in January, Vankin found herself in a Santa Monica hospital waiting room reading her own obituary. She was there to support a friend undergoing surgery, and the news of her supposed death brought on a mix of emotions.

Deborah Vankin: "Reading your own obituary is a surreal experience."

Deborah Vankin: "Reading your own obituary is a surreal experience."

Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times

“I oddly didn’t panic. I was mostly confused at first, then outraged,” Vankin, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, told CNN.

Reading my own obituary left me feeling sad and in a surreal state of mind. After consulting with experts, my sadness turned into fear - not just for myself, but for all journalists and the impact on our society.

This month, Google introduced new policies to prevent clickbait obituaries and other low-quality content from appearing in search results. Unfortunately, for a brief period this year, I found myself among a group of individuals who had to confront false reports of their own deaths circulating online. Experts caution that with the advancement of AI technology, these unsettling situations may become even more prevalent.

Obituary pirating is a new trend in old death-related scams. According to Joshua Klopfenstein, co-founder of Lindenwood Marketing, scammers have long targeted grieving families by impersonating funeral homes to extort money.

Vankin mentioned that clickbait obituaries, such as the ones he discussed, have become more common due to the rise of low-quality, AI-generated content. These obituaries are a unique take on the traditional format.

These obituaries can be found on websites that publish a wide range of articles on various subjects. While they may lack substantial details, they are designed to attract attention by using popular search terms.

Vankin learned about her own obituary from her dad, who was informed by an aunt that receives Google alerts whenever her name pops up online. In a piece for the Los Angeles Times, Vankin talked about her initial hesitance to read obituaries and how this incident altered her perspective on death.

An AI-generated obituary for Deborah Vankin circulated online earlier this year.

An AI-generated obituary for Deborah Vankin circulated online earlier this year.

Obtained by CNN

She doesn't know why scammers targeted her for deletion, but she thinks it's because of the increased online traffic on her article about driving anxiety on the freeway.

She believes the scammers chose her thinking they could attract more viewers to their content since she is a writer with a strong social media following.

Klopfenstein mentioned that scammers target obituaries because it is financially beneficial for them. He explained that obituaries attract a large amount of traffic to funeral home websites, with 80% to 85% of visitors viewing them. Therefore, scammers aim to steal numerous obituaries in order to generate substantial ad revenue.

Recently, there have been a lot of questionable obituaries making the news. These obituaries have been shared on platforms like Reddit, with many of them turning out to be hoaxes about deceased family members or even people who are still alive.

Google has mentioned that they are always working on improving their systems to prevent spam and to tackle the changing tactics of spammers.

"We have made updates to our search spam policies to reduce obituary spam in search results," a Google spokesperson informed CNN. Additionally, on YouTube, we are actively enforcing our spam, deceptive practices, and scams policies to combat this type of content.

The new policies specifically address obituary spam and low-quality content to prevent them from appearing in search results. Google stated in a blog post that these types of content are created in large quantities with the main goal of manipulating search rankings, providing little value to users.

Fake obituaries can also victimize those who are grieving.

Brian Vastag's ex-partner, Beth Mazur, tragically passed away in December. Shortly after a message was shared by an organization Mazur helped create to announce her death, several fake obituaries started popping up on various websites stating that both individuals had died.

Vastag, a resident of Kapaʻa, Hawaii, was on his way to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where his friend Mazur had passed away, when he came across reports of Mazur's death online. The false obituaries were spreading rapidly, pushing the real one further down in search results. This made it difficult for Mazur's extensive circle of friends to find accurate information, according to Vastag.

Vastag and Mazur had both worked together to raise awareness for individuals with chronic illnesses that are often overlooked. They had collaborated on various articles, which Vastag believes is how the impostors were able to link them together.

Brian Vastag: "The internet has turned into a pile of nonsense. There’s so much misinformation."

Brian Vastag: "The internet has turned into a pile of nonsense. There’s so much misinformation."

The fake obituary mentioned the recent deaths of Beth Mazur and Brian Vastag, who were both dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It highlighted how their struggles served as a reminder of the strength of the human spirit when faced with challenges.

Some friends were confused when they heard about their deaths, thinking the reports were true.

Vastag shared, "I was already grieving the loss of someone, and it was upsetting to learn that the obituary about me caused some people distress. About three or four friends believed it was real."

After Google implemented its new spam policy, most of the fake obituaries for Vankin and Vastag are no longer appearing in search results.

Earlier this year, there was a similar incident involving Matthew Sachman, who tragically passed away in a subway accident in New York City. Scammers tried to deceive people by flooding search results with hoax obituaries, one of which falsely claimed that he was stabbed to death. This was reported by The New York Times.

One source of the fake reports was identified in a study, linking them back to an internet marketer based in India. He mentioned that he was not familiar with Sachman, but revealed that he keeps an eye on Google trends for keywords such as “obituary,” “accident,” and “death.” Using an AI tool, he generates blog posts that bring in a small amount of ad revenue each month.

According to an expert, producing fake obituaries is a simple and cost-effective process.

Creating fake obituaries has become incredibly simple, according to Robert Wahl, an expert in AI technology and associate professor at Concordia University Wisconsin.

Wahl mentioned that generating fake obituaries can be done easily by using AI to gather information about a person. He explained that the process has low startup costs, as free internet services can be utilized for this purpose. Additionally, creating fake obituaries can be done at a minimal cost or even for free, with the potential to earn revenue, providing an incentive for individuals to engage in this activity.

Some scammers operate from overseas, making enough money to cover their living expenses. The international element adds complexity, as different countries' laws can make it difficult to prosecute them.

"It may not be against the law everywhere. So the problem is figuring out if it's illegal activity - even if it's definitely unethical," he explained. "This is a challenge we can't completely avoid. We need to get better at recognizing the scams."

Scammers posted obituaries claiming Brian Vastag died together with his former partner, Beth Mazur.

Scammers posted obituaries claiming Brian Vastag died together with his former partner, Beth Mazur.

Obtained by CNN

Vastag hopes his story will empower people to be savvy online consumers and be aware of where they’re getting information from.

The internet is filled with misinformation and information pollution, according to him.

Vankin, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, mentioned that the experience served as a reminder to be thankful for the life she leads.

When something like this happens, it's difficult not to ponder about your own mortality. She mentioned that although she has no immediate plans for major life changes, the incident has sparked some bucket list travel ideas. It has also reminded her that one day, her actual obituary will be published. She expressed her wish for it to be written by a real person.

Editor's P/S:

The alarming rise of fake obituaries, fueled by AI technology, has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation and its impact on individuals and society. These obituaries, often filled with sensationalized details and accompanied by deceptive videos, exploit the vulnerabilities of grieving families and create confusion among the public. While Google has implemented new policies to combat this issue, experts caution that the advancement of AI may exacerbate the problem. The financial incentives and low startup costs associated with creating fake obituaries make it an attractive venture for scammers, who may operate from overseas and evade prosecution.

The personal accounts shared in the article highlight the emotional distress and confusion caused by these false announcements. Deborah Vankin, a journalist who found herself the subject of a fake obituary, experienced a range of emotions, from initial disbelief to outrage and fear. The incident not only challenged her own sense of mortality but also raised concerns about the impact on her reputation and the integrity of journalism. Brian Vastag, who lost his partner to a tragic accident, encountered fake obituaries that falsely linked his own death to hers. This caused distress among their friends and hindered the dissemination of accurate information about Mazur's passing. These experiences underscore the need for vigilance in the digital age and the importance of critical thinking when encountering online content.