AI scammers are 'scouring obituaries,' then stealing from grieving widows

The rise of AI-powered fraud is turning moments of grief into opportunities for theft.

In one especially disturbing case, scammers allegedly targeted a widow after her husband died, using details tied to his obituary to pressure her into handing over thousands of dollars.

Here's what to know

According to Money Talks News, a man sought help after scammers took more than $7,000 from his mother, a case described by Clayton LiaBraaten, senior executive spokesperson for caller ID and spam-blocking app Truecaller.

To get the money, the fraudsters allegedly told the woman that they had helped her late husband conceal tax-related records and that she needed to pay them to keep her inheritance safe.

LiaBraaten said AI is making that kind of targeting easier by helping scammers identify people who may be especially vulnerable. Scammers are "scouring obituaries and looking for vulnerabilities," LiaBraaten said. "It's so disgusting, I can barely keep my cool about it."

For many families already stretched thin, that means adult children are taking on yet another responsibility. As scams become more persuasive and harder to detect, people caring for both children and aging parents are increasingly monitoring bank accounts, phone calls, texts, and mail.

In 2025, the FBI received more than 200,000 cybercrime complaints from victims age 60 and older, with losses approaching $8 billion. Experts said the true numbers are probably higher because many cases go unreported.

More background

Ian Bednowitz, general manager at identity theft protection service LifeLock, experienced the damage firsthand when his mother's paid caregiver used her identity to open fraudulent loans and credit cards.

He responded by removing sensitive documents from her home, redirecting her mail so it could be scanned, and restricting what caregivers could access.

Bednowitz described the toll this way: "I was already under financial stress, taking care of my mom. You know, it's not cheap, to have caregivers in the home. I can't tell you the despair and weight that I felt."

Patrick Coughlin, a cybersecurity expert and author, said the fallout is not just financial. Victims often feel too ashamed to speak up, which can let the scam continue unchecked.

"The first thing people say is, 'How'd you fall for that?'" he said.

What can be done?

Experts said it is much easier to prevent fraud than to recover from it afterward.

LiaBraaten said the first contact may not include any immediate attempt to take money. Instead, scammers can use early conversations to collect personal details for later, making it especially important for older adults and their families to talk regularly about common tactics.

AI is also being used defensively. Services such as Carefull and Coughlin's Savi Security can help detect suspicious activity in loved ones' accounts.

Families can further lower the risk by tightening access to bank accounts, keeping screenshots and other documentation if something goes wrong, redirecting vulnerable mail, and setting up a system that requires another trusted person to approve major money transfers.

Bednowitz's advice is to prepare before there is a crisis: "Don't wait until something happened, because then it's a lot harder to resolve. Make sure that you're protecting all of their data, not just their physical and mental health."

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