#BookReview of #TheFutureOfFraud by Becky Holmes | @melvillehouse.bsky.social | @deathtospinach.bsky.social

[ About The Future of Fraud ]

Fraud is BIG business – in this latest edition to the FUTURES series, find out the new (and old) ways fraudsters are targeting us, what future technological threats await, and how we can protect ourselves.

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 all need 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?

[ My Review ]

The Future of Fraud by Becky Holmes published April 23rd with Melville House and is part of the FUTURES Series. it is described as a book that ‘takes you inside the world of fraud through popular true crime cases, from phone and banking scams to cryptocurrency boondoggles.’

This compact book is one that offers a glimmer of hope for us all as we face into the unknown – the future. A self-confessed social media junkie, Becky Holmes provides a concise overview of the potential of fraudulent behaviour crossing all our paths at some point in our lives. Many of us online have been targeted with collaboration requests, monetary requests, love angle requests and so on but how many get caught out and fall for these scams? Unfortunately, too many, and, as these fraudsters get smarter with technological advances, how difficult will it become for any of us to spot a trickster?

Becky Holmes writes with humour and astuteness as she takes the reader on an informative journey about fraud through the ages. From Greek chancers in 300BC to Michelangelo, Isaac Newton and more we see how fraudulent activity has been part of society from the very beginning.

Artificial Intelligence is one obvious danger for many of us everyday users of smarter technology, with naivety often coming into play. We might blindly accept what we see in the summarised information in search engines or be tempted by what an influencer might post to their feed. We might fall for a plea from an individual in trouble or we might send money via a link that appears honest. How do we navigate fact from fake and how do we protect ourselves?

My one major takeaway from this book is the necessity for education. If we don’t lean in to improving our own knowledge, and that of our children, we will very quickly leave ourselves wide open to swindlers and deceptive behaviour. Packed with fascinating, but not overwhelming facts. The Future of Fraud outlines what we can expect to see in the coming decades and how to prepare ourselves for it. This pocket-sized and engaging read is very accessible and well-researched, a handy reference as a reminder to stay on the ball and be careful who you trust!!

‘Fortunately, our world has more good people than bad, and some of those good people are incredibly clever.’

[Thank you to Nikki Griffiths and Melville House for the invitation to join the blog tour with my, as always, honest review]

[ Bio ]