A.I. Scammers Target Grieving Families with Fake Obituaries, Profiting from Sorrow

Criminal networks are exploiting a surge in social media engagement following a death to publish fake, A.I.-generated obituaries, flooding search results and monetizing grief through ad revenue.

The rise of these bot-written memorials, often referred to as “A.I. slop,” is fueled by a global network of opportunists who create and propagate deceptive content. These fabricated obituaries appear within hours of a death being announced on social media, filling the “data void” that exists before families can publish official announcements.

An investigation into these networks revealed that many of the bot-driven obituary websites are registered to addresses in Iceland, a nation known for its strong privacy laws. A July 2025 report from the Center for Digital Forensics identified a sophisticated international operation, detailing how these sites, which often use the same handful of physical addresses, serve as fronts for criminal enterprises.

The practice, which is highly profitable due to its automated nature and low barrier to entry, preys on the emotional vulnerability of mourners seeking information about a loved one. The fake pages generate revenue through pop-up ads, malicious redirects, and ad-laden YouTube videos, even as they spread false information about the deceased.

Although social media companies like Meta and Google have reported taking steps to combat the issue, experts argue their efforts are insufficient. According to a recent analysis by the misinformation watchdog NewsGuard, the number of “unreliable A.I.-generated news sites” has skyrocketed from 49 in May 2023 to over 1,200 today. The report noted that many of these sites are dedicated solely to creating obituaries, suggesting a deliberate and targeted strategy to exploit a specific, vulnerable audience.

This new wave of digital fraud not only steals attention but also erodes the personal autonomy of grieving families, robbing them of the ability to control the narrative of their loved ones’ lives. While some of the perpetrators are focused on small-scale ad revenue, others are tied to larger organized crime networks, with some operations linked to nation-states running money laundering schemes.

More Than a Click: The Financial and Emotional Toll of Virtual Tributes

The parasitic economy surrounding fake obituaries goes beyond simple ad revenue, leveraging the powerful emotional need of mourners to show respect. Scammers use features designed to look like traditional acts of remembrance, turning a heartfelt gesture into a cash transaction.

These digital tributes are a core part of the scam model. On these bot-generated memorial pages, visitors are often given the option to perform a symbolic act, such as “lighting a virtual candle” or “planting a memorial tree.”

Examples of Virtual Tributes:

Virtual Candles: Offered in various pricing tiers, these are not physical items but a digital icon that appears on the website. For example, a search of these sites shows options like a "one-month candle" for $8, a "one-year candle" for $15, or an "Eternity candle" for $25. The purchaser receives no tangible product, and the money rarely, if ever, reaches the deceased's family.

Memorial Trees: Another common option is the "memorial tree." Visitors can purchase a virtual tree to be "planted" in the deceased's honor, with prices typically ranging from $10 to $20. Again, this is a purely digital act with no real-world equivalent, and the funds are funneled directly to the site operators.

Virtual Flowers: Fake obituaries often feature links to "send flowers," which, instead of connecting to a legitimate florist, direct visitors to scam sites. These sites may charge for a digital image of a floral arrangement or simply redirect to other ad-heavy pages, creating a frustrating and often malicious loop for grieving individuals.

These features exploit the innate desire to pay one’s respects, transforming a moment of genuine human empathy into a revenue stream for organized criminal networks. The deception is particularly cruel because it is often discovered by mourning families who are already at their most vulnerable.