What Is an Obituary Pirate: AI-Driven Online Fraud Schemes

Obituary piracy is an alarming online scam that preys on grief. What began as shady copycat websites has now morphed into something bigger—and more harmful—thanks to the rise of AI-generated content and platforms like YouTube.

What is an obituary pirate? Today, they don’t just duplicate published memorials—they profit from them, manipulate them, and sometimes fabricate death notices entirely.

In this guide, we’ll explain what an obituary pirate is, how these scams work, and how you can protect your loved one’s legacy.

Resources: How to Delete Online Accounts of a Dead Person: Step-by-Step Guide

💻 What Is an Obituary Pirate?

Obituary piracy is when someone scrapes, copies, or fabricates obituaries to profit off clicks, commit fraud, or steal identities. These individuals or operations use personal details found in public obituaries—like full names, dates, and family relationships—to:

• Generate ad revenue by reposting or reading obituaries on websites and YouTube channels.

• Solicit fake donations via memorial pages or GoFundMe-style scams on behalf of the bereaved families.

• Collect sensitive information from unsuspecting mourners offering sympathy.

👉 Example: A YouTube channel uses AI to read real obituaries in a robotic voice, monetized with ads—completely legal, but ethically troubling.

💰 Why Obituary Pirates Do It

These schemes may seem callous—but they’re profitable. Here’s how:

1. Ad Revenue

Copying obits to websites or YouTube videos generates ad dollars with every view or click.

2. Fake Donation Pages

Some scammers pose as grieving families to solicit donations that never reach real people.

3. Phishing for Personal Info

Fraudulent websites may pose as flower or gift services, harvesting credit cards, emails, or addresses.

4. Identity Theft

Criminals use obituary details to open credit lines, steal social security benefits, or impersonate the deceased or their relatives.

🧠 According to the AARP, nearly 2.5 million deceased Americans become victims of identity theft each year. Source: AARP – Ghosting: Identity Theft of the Dead

How Do They Gather the Data

Obituary pirates typically extract:

• Full names and nicknames

• Birth and death dates

• Surviving relatives’ names

• Funeral service locations and times

• Home addresses (if published)

They scrape obituaries from legitimate sites (like Legacy.com) or social media, then reuse or remix that info for malicious purposes.

How to Protect Yourself from Obituary Pirates

Here’s how to protect your loved one’s memory—and your family’s information:

✅ Limit Personal Info in Obituaries

• Avoid full birthdates.
• Don’t list home addresses.
• Use first names for surviving relatives (e.g., “her son John” instead of “John Smith of Chicago”).

🛠️ Use data broker removal tools to scrub public records where possible.

🛑 Don’t Click Suspicious Links

If you come across an obituary on a shady site or random YouTube channel:

• Don’t engage. Don’t comment, click, or share.
• Warn others privately if the obituary is about someone you know.

🔍 Monitor Financial Activity

• Contact credit bureaus and notify them of the death.
• Sign up for an identity protection service like Aura or LifeLock.

📞 Notify the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to report a death and prevent SSN fraud.

🚨 Report Obituary Fraud

• 📎 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): ic3.gov
• 🖥️ Google Site Complaint: Google’s Report a Phishing Page
• 📹 YouTube Videos: Report via the 3-dot menu → “Report” → “Spam or misleading”
• 🔎 Website Host: Use WhoIs Lookup to find the domain registrar and file a complaint

Conclusion

Obituary piracy is the dark underbelly of grief in the digital age. As families turn to online memorials and public tributes, scammers have followed. By learning how obituary pirates operate—and by taking small steps to limit personal details—you can protect your loved ones from exploitation.

Honor the departed by safeguarding their story. Because their memory should be a source of peace—not profit.