In Fraud We Trust

"Examples of fraud on the public are everywhere. Fossil fuel industries have long used PR firms and lobbyists to spread disinformation about oil and climate change. Cigarette companies famously lied about the effects of tobacco, and opioid manufacturers used deceptive marketing tactics. Social media influencers and fringe media outlets promoted fraudulent claims about the pandemic being a government hoax. Others claimed that the COVID-19 vaccines were part of a sinister plot. Politicians lie, or at least seem to lie, with such regularity that people have become deeply cynical about whether to believe anything they say. Many Republicans, led by Donald Trump, insisted on the false accusation that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" by Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. Henricksen shows that fraud is carried out for many reasons beyond financial gain, including political gain, the prevention of justice, and the falsification of history. In addition to exposing the depths of the problem, Henricksen also gives readers a way forward. He proposes that we call these massive acts of fraud by their proper name, "de-weaponize" the First Amendment that was never meant to shield fraudulent claims, and enforce new laws that protect the public. By diagnosing the crisis of misinformation and showing how to fight it, In Fraud We Trust is a book that speaks to the present moment"--