How to Fake Your Own Death

Last Updated: March 12, 2023 References

You’ve probably heard stories and seen it in movies: people faking their own death and disappearing into the ether forever (or at least until they get caught). But how do they do it? How hard is it to actually fake your own death? In this article, we explore what it would hypothetically take to fake your own death, and why “pseudocide” can be so tricky to pull off.

1

Think twice about faking your own death.

Pseudocide is both logistically and psychologically challenging. It takes time, careful planning, and money, and even then many people still get caught eventually. Even if someone manages to pull it off, they still have to deal with the psychological effects of leaving their old life behind and never talking to their loved ones again. That’s not to mention that faking your own death comes with all kinds of legal ramifications if you do end up getting caught.^{[1]
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- There’s technically no law against faking your own death, but it’s usually impossible to pull off without committing other crimes. For example, creating a fake identity is considered identity fraud. Cashing in on your life insurance policy after faking your death is insurance fraud. Committing pseudocide to avoid legal problems is also illegal.

2

Plan far in advance.

Faking your own death convincingly would take a lot of careful planning. A lot of people who try to fake their own death do so in a panic. They owe someone a lot of money, they’re in legal trouble, they need to get away from someone—whatever the reason, people want to disappear fast. Unsurprisingly, this usually leads to careless mistakes. Hypothetically, you’d need a lot of time (preferably years) to really pull off faking your own death.^{[2]
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- People often get caught because they do this in a rush. The more time someone has to carefully map out the logistics of their plan and their new life, the better their chances of succeeding.

3

Start stockpiling cash now.

You wouldn’t be able to use your bank accounts or credit cards after faking your death. People who commit pseudocide need cash to support themselves in their new life. To avoid raising suspicions, you’d need to gradually stash away cash in a safe place. Withdrawing all of your money at once would be a red flag, so this would have to be a gradual process. The more cash (and time you have to stockpile it), the better.^{[3]
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- How much cash you’d want to have on hand depends on what type of new life you’d want to lead. People who disappear and live simple lives off the grid don’t need as much cash as those who attempt to maintain their same lifestyle. You would need to ask yourself: where do I plan on living? How much would it cost to feed myself and to buy basic necessities? Getting a job is hard (but not impossible) after faking your own death, so you’d need to have a decent amount of cash to get you through until you find a source of income.

4

Determine how you’ll “die.”

You would need a convincing “death” in order to pull this off. People have tried it all when it comes to faking their own death. Some have staged their own drowning, like John Darwin, who faked a fatal canoe accident in 2002 and was discovered alive several years later.^{[4]
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Research source} Former hedge fund manager Sam Israel once staged his own suicide by jumping off of a bridge and catching himself in nets he’d set up underneath. There are even places like the Philippines where people can find fraudsters who will acquire and cremate an unidentified dead body and help them pass it off as their own, forged death certificate and all.^{[5]
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- Faking an accidental death, like staging a drowning or disappearing on a hike, would likely be the easiest option. No fake death is foolproof though. If law enforcement discovered any financial, legal, or marital problems during their investigation into someone’s disappearance, that could look suspicious, especially since they wouldn’t be finding their body anywhere.

5

Don’t leave a trail.

Investigators are good at spotting potential red flags. Bumping up your life insurance policy 1-2 years before you disappear (or taking out an unusually high policy for your income) would be a red flag. Selling all of your assets and draining your bank accounts before your sudden “death” is another huge giveaway. People often get caught faking their own death because they’ve done something in the lead up to their disappearance to tip off investigators. You’d need to be careful to avoid that.^{[6]
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- Generally, the less money and fewer assets you have, the less likely your disappearance will raise suspicions.

6

Assume a new identity.

To stay hidden and avoid getting caught, you’d need a disguise and a new name. You wouldn’t want to risk anyone recognizing you, or have a picture of yourself end up on the internet. You’d also need a new backstory in case anyone asks questions. People who fake their own death have to assume a completely new identity and leave their old identity behind forever.^{[7]
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- There are black markets for fake identities and forged documents in less developed countries, but that can be a slow, costly (around six figures) process, according to investigators with experience dealing with pseudocide cases. That’s usually not affordable for the average person who’s trying to fake their own death.^{[8]
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7

Leave everything (and everyone) behind.

You’d have to completely cut out your old life to get away with faking your death. Reaching out to friends or loved ones after staging your death is a surefire way of getting caught. Logging into your old social media or email accounts will tip off investigators too. If you wanted to fake your own death, you’d need to be committed to never contacting anyone from your old life ever again.^{[9]
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- Completely cutting off contact with family and friends can be difficult for a lot of people. Marcus Schrenker, a former money manager from Indianapolis who staged a plane crash in 2009, was caught by authorities just 2 days after faking his death because he emailed a friend.^{[10]
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- You wouldn’t even want to look yourself up online after staging your death. Patrick McDermott, who faked his own drowning on a fishing trip, was caught after googling himself and regularly visiting his memorial page on Facebook. The cluster of IP addresses he used in Mexico tipped off investigators.^{[11]
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8

Find a new way to support yourself.

Even after faking your death, you would need a steady source of income. Stashed-away cash isn’t enough to get someone by forever. People who fake their deaths usually need to find new ways to earn money so they can afford basic necessities like food and shelter, and that can be challenging. Hypothetically, you’d need a job where you were paid under the table and where no one would ask any questions.^{[12]
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- You wouldn’t be able to use any of your degrees or professional certifications in your new life, so you’d likely be looking for odd jobs that pay cash or someone who is willing to pay their employees off the books.

Community Q&A

Question

What if I want to get married after faking my death?

Community Answer

Getting married can be risky, but you don't have to get married to bond yourself with someone. Tell them you don't believe in legal marriage and just try to get them to agree to a common law situation.
Question

Why would someone fake their own death?

Community Answer

Some people might do it for financial reasons, like to escape a large debt. Others might want to completely leave their lives behind and start over somewhere new.
Question

What if I have a paper due tomorrow?

Community Answer

Write your paper. Faking your death is a lot harder than writing a paper.