Just yesterday we reported on the alleged death of Angelo Kelly . But the rumor doesn't just affect him; there are tons of other reports of celebrity deaths.
The reports originate on YouTube, where a lot of such videos are currently circulating. And of course it doesn't take long until these are shared on Facebook and Co. Fans are worried, others don't understand where the message comes from. After all, you wouldn't have heard anything on the news.
Alleged deaths
Various Facebook pages, for example with the name “RIP Report”, “Report RIP” or “News Hott”, distribute the videos on the platform. These are of course picked up by users and distributed further.
As we first suspected yesterday in the case of Angelo Kelly, a phishing trap has not yet been confirmed. There might be something much simpler behind it: some kind of machinery that is supposed to boost access to the “sensational videos” with reports of celebrity deaths.
The videos only show an image that could be associated with a death. The content itself is a moderately interesting blah blah with information about the prominent person in question.
Who died according to the YouTube videos?
The Facebook posts that users stumble across most often concern Angelo Kelly, his sister Maite Kelly, Kerstin Ott, Jürgen Drews and also Michael Schumacher.
As with the false report about Angelo Kelly's death, many of the links lead to the same website: todaynews88.com, which simply states that it is "Just another WordPress site".
Here we also find entries on Chuck Norris (at this point we ask ourselves whether Chuck Norris is actually mortal?), Alan Jackson, Peter Maffay, Andrea Berg, Thomas Gottschalk, Gladys Knight, Céline Dion, Clint Eastwood , ... – in total There are 343 pages filled with humbug, false reports about celebrities who have allegedly died. These are repeated over and over on the numerous pages. There is no further information available on the detail pages. Only the headline and a short shocking text are given here. And finally we end up on the corresponding YouTube page.
Now another website has joined in that works according to the same scheme: alnews6.com. – Also “Just another WordPress site”
Quick check
Just to be sure:
- Kerstin Ott: There is no information website , Facebook or Instagram
- Jürgen Drews: There is no information about his alleged death website or on Facebook
- Michael Schumacher: Here too – nothing to be found website or Facebook
- Maite Kelly: There is no information website or Facebook
- Céline Dion: Nothing on her website or her Facebook page .
- Andrea Berg: No information can be found Facebook page or her website
There is also no report on news sites that confirms any of the alleged death reports. So these are false reports. And what’s the point of all this?
Clickbait!
How do you reach people? With emotions. With shocking news. With surprises – whether positive or negative. Curiosity all too often wins out and you click on links with sensational reports.
The way these posts and associated YouTube videos are structured, there are numerous other types. Who doesn't know the sensational news à la "You won't believe it, just look at what XY looks like now" or "You didn't expect what happened to XY" - at best, "XY" is the name of a celebrity replaced, then it is even more tempting. And then you find yourself on pages that are filled to the brim with advertising, where you have to indulge in a seemingly endless click marathon to finally get to the information you want, but it never appears.
The YouTube videos are designed in exactly the same way. Only the headline or the cover photo speak of death. In the video itself: Nothing to see, nothing to hear. But the creators and operators have already won. The page or video opened and the advertisement appeared. The advertising revenue is already trickling into their account.
Therefore: stay away from such sensational reports. Better first google whether any of the reports can be found on an official news site or the website of the celebrity in question. If not, just let it go or – even better – inform those who are spreading the report that it is a hoax. Feel free to send us a link 😉
Already read?
Angelo Kelly is not dead
“Suddenly and unexpectedly” – How obituaries are exploited
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )







