Within days of a widely shared death, memorial pages and donation drives can appear using the person’s name. In 2026 many of those pages are built with synthetic video and cloned voices, and the Ronnie McNutt case is no exception to that pattern. Treat every video, tribute page, or raffle that asks for money as unverified until you can match it to an official record.
How AI voice clones and synthetic video are used
Generative AI is a technology that can create original text, images, video and other content, according to IBM. Google Cloud describes AI systems as learning from large amounts of data and identifying patterns, which is why publicly available recordings can be used to imitate a person’s tone and appearance. Scammers use these tools to produce a short memorial clip that appears to show a family member or the deceased person asking for help. The page then pairs that clip with a donation button, a fake beneficiary story, or a shareable link that spreads before anyone checks it.
Check the official paper trail first
Before you give money or share a page, ask the organizer for the legal name of the charity, the state where it is registered, and a document that ties the page to the family or estate. If the page claims a court approved a settlement or memorial fund, ask for the court order and case number, then verify that number directly with the court. A legitimate fundraiser will usually point to an established funeral home, a named family spokesperson, or a registered nonprofit.
State charity registries allow you to look up whether a fundraising organization exists and is permitted to solicit in that state. If the page uses a name that is not listed, or the listed purpose does not match, stop. Do not accept a screenshot as proof; open the registry yourself and search the exact legal name.
Spot a fake memorial raffle by missing draw history
Scammers sometimes attach a memorial raffle or lottery draw to a donation page to make it look like a community event. A real draw leaves a trail: a dated draw identifier, a list of matches or entries, a status for each draw, and an archive you can open later. A missing archive, a draw number that never changes, or a results link that always says winner pending is a sign the page is not actually running a draw.
Swedish-speaking readers can compare any raffle that claims to use Swedish lottery or hockey results against a Swedish-language result site such as Powerplay Resultat, which lists the current omgångs-ID, match status and a dated archive. If the memorial page cannot show the same kind of dated draw history, treat the raffle as unverified.
When a tribute is really a deepfake
Deepfake memorial pages often copy real condolence messages and pair them with synthetic video that appears to show the person speaking from beyond the grave, asking viewers to donate. Pay attention to unnatural mouth movement, a voice that does not match older recordings, and a page that refuses to name a real charity. Check whether the video is hosted on a channel that also posts unrelated celebrity or tragedy clips.
Ask for a statement from an identifiable family member or a licensed funeral director, not just a friend of the family account. If the only contact is a social media handle and the donation button leads to a personal payment app, cryptocurrency wallet, or gift card, that is a strong sign of a scam.
Report a suspected fake
The FBI advises that anyone who thinks they are the victim of a scam should report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The FBI also states that it will never call or email private citizens to request they move money via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or prepaid cards. If a page uses an FBI logo or claims to work with law enforcement while asking for payment, that is a red flag.
Report the page through the FBI’s tip site or the Internet Crime Complaint Center, and keep the original link and screenshots. If you are in immediate danger, contact 911 or local police.
Before you give or share
Fake memorial pages work because grief shortens the time people spend checking facts. Slow down, look for the court record or state charity registration, and compare any raffle to a real results archive before you pay or share. If you are unsure, report the page and do not send money to a personal account. For mental health support, use an established crisis line rather than an unverified social media fundraiser.