Fuss about false death reports on the Internet

Macabre hoax on YouTube: Fabian Kahl from “Bares für Rares” defends himself against false death reports.

Fabian Kahl, known from the ZDF show “Bares für Rares”, defends himself against false death reports on the Internet. These fake reports about the 33-year-old, which were mainly created using artificial intelligence (AI), circulated widely on several YouTube channels.

Junk dealer Kahl told “Bild”: “These rumors are wrong – I’m doing great.” He has received numerous inquiries from concerned friends and fans and now wants to make it clear that he is in perfect health. Other celebrities such as Günther Jauch and Stefan Mross have also been the target of such false reports.

According to the report by “Bild”, the false reports serve as a business model for criminals. Lines like “Fabian Kahl was stabbed on the street” or “Rest in peace Fabian Kahl” are intended to make unsuspecting users click.

Lawyer Nadine Meßmer explained in the “Bild” report that such videos generated income through advertising, as death reports achieved particularly high numbers of clicks. Although criminal liability for libel or slander is possible, convictions are often not forthcoming because the perpetrators are from abroad. According to a report by “Computer Bild”, you can earn up to two euros on YouTube if such a clip is played 1,000 times.

According to “Bild”, Fabian Kahl reported the false reports on YouTube – initially without results. The video platform later deleted a total of eight channels due to fraudulent practices. A spokesperson is quoted as saying: “We have strict policies that prohibit content that contains spam, scams and other deceptive practices.”