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Keynote SpeakerBecky Holmes

'Professional time-waster', Author and Romance Fraud expert

Becky Holmes is the creator of and voice behind the popular Twitter account @deathtospinach. In 2020, having been on the receiving end of an annoying number of direct messages from online romance scammers, Becky Holmes started to enjoy wasting their time and publicly ‘outing’ their accounts. Four years later she is now a well-known expert on romance fraud, called upon by both professionals and the media. No other woman has had so many online romances – from Keanu Reeves to... Read More

Biography

Becky Holmes is the creator of and voice behind the popular Twitter account @deathtospinach.

In 2020, having been on the receiving end of an annoying number of direct messages from online romance scammers, Becky Holmes started to enjoy wasting their time and publicly ‘outing’ their accounts. Four years later she is now a well-known expert on romance fraud, called upon by both professionals and the media.

No other woman has had so many online romances – from Keanu Reeves to Brad Pitt to Prince William and she is a firm favourite with brave US peacekeeping soldiers and oil rig workers who desperately need iTunes vouchers or Amazon gift cards.

Using humorous examples of her conversations with online fraudsters, Becky shines a light on the darkest corners of the world of romance fraud, looking at the similarities between romance fraud and domestic abuse, coercive control and confirmation bias, gaslighting and shame. She then talks about the even lesser-known sides to this crime: human trafficking, voodoo and scammer pyramid schemes.

Her engaging way of presenting has an audience looking at all aspects of romance fraud, from the heartbreaking to the hilarious, the academic to the anecdotal and discusses where we’re going wrong when dealing with those affected and how the effects of these scams are more far-reaching than it would first appear.

Becky’s book, Keanu Reeves Is Not In Love With You, has received outstanding reviews from critics, journalists, comedians, counter-fraud professionals and everyday readers.

Becky Holmes has become a regular guest on radio and podcasts around the world where she talks about all things romance fraud, whether that be with a light-hearted touch such as Richard Herring’s Book Club podcast or with a more serious tone as on Jeremy Vine’s BBC radio 2 show.

“Becky’s presentation to the London Fraud Forum had the audience of 200 counter fraud professionals left in awe of the work she is doing and really brought it home how scary romance fraud is but equally how simple it is. I met Becky before she was an author and was on the speaking circuit, and do you know what, as good as an author she is, I really miss her on the speaking circuit! I must be mad I hear you say, but unless you have heard her speak you won’t understand. As much as her outgoing, humorous personality comes over loud and clear in the book, it’s magnified in real life beyond recognition!” Robert Brooker, Chairman, London Faud Forum
“Becky offers a refreshing insight into her subject matter area. She is a humorous and engaging speaker who can hold audiences’ attention throughout. She balances humour with a clear message and makes a serious topic an interesting and exciting one for all levels.” Claire Maillet, Director of Financial Crime Operations, Ziglu

Popular Talks by Becky Holmes

  • Romance fraud – what exactly is it? How and why is it still happening? Who is involved?
  • Coercive control – the similarities between romance fraud and domestic abuse
  • The importance of language – how the words that we use in business and our personal lives are helping fraudsters thrive
  • Social engineering