A faked death, also called a staged death, is the act of an individual purposely deceiving other people into believing that the individual is dead, when the person is, in fact, still alive. The faking of one's own death by suicide is sometimes referred to as pseuicide or pseudocide. People who commit pseudocide can do so by leaving evidence, clues, or through other methods. Death hoaxes can also be created and spread solely by third-parties for various purposes. Committing pseudocide may be done for a variety of reasons, such as to fraudulently collect insurance money, to evade pursuit, to escape from captivity, to arouse false sympathy, or as a practical joke. While faking one's own death is not inherently illegal, it may be part of a fraudulent or illicit activity such as tax evasion, insurance fraud, or avoiding a criminal prosecution.

History

Deaths have been faked since ancient times, but the rate increased significantly in the middle of the 19th century, when life insurance, and insurance fraud, became more common. In the late 20th century, advancements in technology began to make it increasingly more difficult to simply disappear after faking a death. Such things as credit card purchases, social media, and mobile phone systems, among others, have made it harder to make a clean break with a past identity. Widespread use of facial recognition tools can connect new identities to old social media accounts. Other factors include a desire of fakers to observe the reactions of others to their deaths, which may prompt them to check websites for information about their disappearances, which in turn could lead to their discovery through Internet geolocation.

Motivation

While some people fake their deaths as a prank or self-promotion effort, or to get a clean start, the most common motivations are money or a need to escape an abusive relationship. Men are more likely to fake their deaths than women. People who fake their deaths often feel like they are trapped in a desperate situation. Because of this, an investigation may be triggered if the person disappears, no body is found, and the person is in significant financial difficulties. Many people who fake their deaths intend for the change to be temporary, until a problem is resolved.

Methods

People who fake their own deaths often do so by trying to pretend drowning, because it provides a plausible reason for the absence of a body. However, drowned bodies usually appear within a few days of a death, and when no body appears, a faked death is suspected.

Outcome

Although firm figures are impossible to identify, investigators can resolve nearly all of the cases they receive, and researchers believe that most people are caught. Most people are caught quickly, within hours or days. For example, Marcus Schrenker faked a plane crash to avoid prosecution and was captured two days later, after he sent an e-mail message to a friend about his plans. Faking a death is not a victimless act. The people who grieved what they believed was a real death are usually angry and sometimes see the offense as being unforgivable. Accomplices, such as romantic partners and children, may be asked to commit crimes, such as filing false insurance claims or making false reports to the police, which can result in criminal charges. Those who are unaware that the death is fake may feel emotionally abused or manipulated. Rather than being happy or relieved to discover that the faker is alive, they may be angry and refuse to have any further contact.

On social media

False claims of death, including false claims of suicide, are not uncommon in social media accounts. The people who do this are often trying to get an advantage for themselves, such as more attention or likes, and they lie about their deaths "without thinking about the fact that there are people who would be upset, hurt or psychologically affected by the news of their death". It may be an intentional effort to manipulate other people's emotions or to see how people would react if they had died. Online, people have claimed to be dead as a response to real or perceived mistreatment on social media, and posting news of their death, especially their suicide, is a way to punish the other users. Examples of faked deaths on social media include BethAnn McLaughlin, a white woman who claimed to be Native American under another name on Twitter, and whose deception was uncovered after she faked her death during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaycee Nicole in 2001 represented not just a fake death on social media, but also a fake person; she was the fictional creation of a middle-aged woman, and one of the first internet hoaxes to pretend that a character was dying.

Notable faked deaths

1st century

14th century

18th century

20th century

21st century

Conspiracy theories and false speculation

On occasion, when a prominent public figure such as a singer or political leader dies, there are rumors that the figure in question did not actually die, but faked their death. These theories are all considered fringe theories. Among the suspected faked deaths include:

Pseudocides in fiction

True-crime genre

Several books and television shows are dedicated to the theme of faked deaths. These include the 2014 television show Nowhere to Hide on Investigation Discovery, hosted by private investigator Steve Rambam.