The Rise of Grief Exploiters

Something didn’t feel right about her nephew’s obituary. Anne Marie Aikins couldn’t shake the feeling.

Kevin Patrick Krelove was a tall man known for his big hugs and even bigger heart. So, when the 44-year-old Barrie chef passed away earlier this month from internal injuries sustained in a tobogganing accident, his friends and family were devastated: “It was just completely unexpected and bizarre,” Aikins said.

Just two days after his death on Feb. 7, while the family was still reeling, a link to an obituary circulated among Krelove’s close friends and relatives. It was the top result on Google, Aikins noted.

A screenshot of Echovita’s obituary for Krelove appeared within minutes of his funeral home sharing the initial details of his death, according to his family. The page was eventually removed after relatives complained to the website.

Anne Marie Aikins

The website in question was called Echovita, and Aikins immediately sensed something wasn’t right. The page didn’t belong to the funeral home and prominently displayed links for purchasing condolences-like lighting a virtual candle or sending flowers for the funeral.

“I thought, ‘Geez, even funeral homes are trying to raise money,’” Aikins, who used to be Metrolinx’s chief spokesperson, told the Star. “Your judgment can get blurred a bit because of the pain of losing somebody, especially in such a shocking way.. so I ignored (the warning signs).”

Later that evening, it became clear that the site had no connection with Krelove or his funeral home. His details had been taken without their permission or knowledge within moments of the official notification being by the funeral home.

By then, several people had already ordered flowers or paid to light candles on this imitation site, Aikins mentioned. The thought that someone exploited her deceased nephew’s personal information to sell items to grieving loved ones left her feeling “infuriated.”

“He’s young and it was such a stupid accident. That people would exploit that feels just so awful; it’s hard to put into words,” Aikins said. “It just adds more pain to what we’re already experiencing.”

The family felt crushed by Kevin Patrick Krelove’s death following a tragic accident in February. Then they stumbled upon his information on an unfamiliar website.

Anne Marie Aikins

Aikins and her family initially believed they were victims of fraud from this site and reported it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Experts say these fraudulent “obituary piracy” schemes have become increasingly frequent lately due in part to advancements in AI technology.

However, according to lawyers and Echovita itself, it doesn’t seem like they’re breaking any laws.

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Echovita has never defrauded anyone,” said a spokesperson for the company when speaking with Star reporters while adding that its “business model complies with all applicable laws and does not contravene any regulation.”.< p></u>< p><blockquote><div align=left border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0>

Millions appreciate Echovita for providing free access to obituaries organized by city along with strong customer support,” they mentioned via email.

Aikins shared that none of the flower orders made by family members arrived before Krelove’s memorial service last Friday. However, Echovita claims only two flower orders were placed-one which got canceled and refunded while another supposedly made it there on time.< p>

Echovita Overview

> Echovita describes itself as “a Canadian organization aiming at centralizing public obituaries available online,” as per its spokesperson statement “Our goal is making public information accessible at no cost.”.".

This is partially done by scanning websites for public notices posted by funeral homes or newspapers summarizing them before reposting them under their own platform without seeking consent from bereaved families. These posts help promote paid services like flower sales or tree plantings.

This approach has caused distress among some families affected by loss. One user review on Better Business Bureau indicated frustration over finding an “awfully written” obituary about their grandfather containing incorrect information – including listing living relatives as deceased.

“We felt humiliated thinking others might believe we wrote something so poorly crafted as an homage,” they stated. When approached about this complaint,, Echovita acknowledged any errors present within its notice.

The spokesperson reiterated that all products sold through its platform are genuine: “Every flower order processed through our system is either delivered directly where instructed or sent out based upon provided addresses. In rare situations where late deliveries occur due local florists prompt refunds will apply..