> I've always assumed peer review is similar to diff review. Where I'm willing to sign my name onto the work of others. If I approve a diff/pr and it takes down prod. It's just as much my fault, no?

Ph.D. in neuroscience here. Programmer by trade. This is not true. Less you know about most peer revies is better.

The better peer reviews are also not this 'thorough' and no one expects reviewers to read or even check references. Unless they are citing something they are familiar with and you are using it wrong then they will likely complain. Or they find some unknown citations very relevant to their work, they will read.

I don't have a great analogy to draw here. peer review is usually a thankless and unpaid work so there is unlikely to be any motivation for fraud detection unless it somehow affects your work.