Becky Holmes – författare

'Fabulous. I read this in a single weekend and I didn't want it to end. Scammers, con-artists, catfishers - you have met your match' Jeremy Vine'A brilliant read. Moves effortlessly between hilarious and informative and back again' Ed Byrne, comedian and actor'Astonishing' Daily MailOnline romance fraud is a problem across the globe. It causes financial and emotional devastation, yet many people refuse to take it seriously. This is the story of one middle-aged woman in a cardigan determined to understand this growing phenomenon.No other woman has had so many online romances - from Keanu Reeves to Brad Pitt to Prince William - and Becky Holmes is a favourite among peacekeeping soldiers and oil rig workers who desperately need iTunes vouchers. By winding up scammers and investigating the truth behind their profiles, Becky shines a revealing, revolting and hilarious light on a very shady corner of the internet.Featuring first-hand accounts of victims, examples of scripts used by fraudsters, a look into the psychology of fraud and of course plenty of Becky's hysterical interactions with scammers, this is a must-read for anyone who needs a reminder that Keanu Reeves is NOT in love with them.

Humans have been ripping each other off since they first discovered the concept of lying but in 300 BC, the first ever official record of a fraud case was made. A merchant in Greece took out an insurance policy, borrowed money and planned to sink his boat. Unfortunately for him, things did not go according to plan. Since then, fraud has become more complex and harder to detect, as technology has evolved. So how can we protect ourselves now and in the future, and what new dangers do we need to be looking out for?Deeply researched and littered with expert testimony, The Future of Fraud will explore interesting fraud cases past and present, and expose how the technology we depend upon today is also perfectly poised to exploit us: from social media, the dark web and gaming, to cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. And as well as parting us from our money, fraud is eroding the trust between humans and the state, and between each other.The only way to tackle the fraud epidemic, argues Holmes, is head on, via education, language, technology and regulation. We need everyone to understand the dangers and have protections in place to stop the bad guys. Are we fighting a losing battle, or can we make the future a safer place for everyone?