Internet fraud among Nigerian youths

By Babatunde Olorunleke
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The youth are usually described as leaders of tomorrow, many agree that the youth themselves are a reflection of the society.

The socio-political and economic environment which prevails in the country has imposed constraints in terms of meeting the needs and aspirations of the youth.

It is very glaring that no country aspiring to greatness can afford to ignore the contributions of its youths or allow them to constitute a major threat to the realisation of its policies and programmes.

Unfortunately, the current social, economic and political trends have left a sour taste in the mouth of the youth; particularly, those from poor social and economic background.

Apparently, the present desperation for money and other acquisitions regarded as yardsticks for determining the status of individuals in the society seems to have worsened the plight of the youth.

This is because they have eroded the societal values for dignity of labour and moral integrity as they direct their energies towards earning a living through foul means.

It is becoming a reality that cyber crime has come to stay in Nigeria, with cyber criminals stepping up their activities without stiff resistance from the security agencies.

Internet fraud, which is widely known as Yahoo yahoo has become the most rapid way of acquiring ill-gotten wealth with ease, it is like a safe net for jobless youths in today’s Nigeria.

Cyber crime or computer-based crime is a crime that involves the use of computer and internet network to commit financial crime.

Fraudsters use these lofty digital tools to swindle hard working people of their hard earned resources.

Today, all digital devices including computer, tablets and smart phones are used as tools for internet fraud.

The crime includes unlawful actions carried out by means of a computer such as fake email messages to get personal information from internet users.

The scammers engage in identity theft, shut down or misusing website or computer network by hacking into them, some criminals spread hate message and promote terrorism through the internet, some distribute pornography and offensive messages.

A web designer gave his opinion on how they start.  He said anyone engaging in Yahoo yahoo must have a computer, good phone and stable internet connection, they will register a private account on a popular dating website, fill in their profiles, find an attractive photo, and wait till somebody falls in love with them, subsequently, she or he will begin to pay their bills and sending dollars to them.

Experts opined that  ” A yahoo boy learn how to send scam messages through social network, it is a little risk field of a yahoo boy specialisation, which brings real money, yahoo boys don’t have morality, learn how to cry and beg online, call for help in written form, they will do everything so that people will believe them.”

The rate at which young people get involved in cyber crime is alarming, the dimension increases every year with a new scope of scam messages.

Students who are supposed to be pursuing their future, have also got themselves involved in cyber crime.

A while ago, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) arrested four undergraduates and three others  at the Iyana Adeoye branch of a first generation bank in Dugbe, Ibadan, while they were collecting proceeds of scam via Western Union (Money Transfer).

In Ondo State alone it is estimated that there are over one million scammers with an impressive success rate.

The 2017 report of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said Nigerian banks lost N2.19 billion to electronic fraud orchestrated by cyber criminals that targeted and wreaked computer systems of financial institutions

This figure was so alarming that the National Security Adviser, Brigadier General Babagana Munguno (Rtd) said the country could no longer afford to allow fraudsters break into computer systems of key institutions.

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, was also alarmed by the revelation in his keynote speech during the fist legislative stakeholders conference on Information Technology and Cyber Security in Abuja.

Many youth have found themselves in this illicit activity, they make fame and acquire wealth through cyber crime.

These young people ride in expensive cars, live flamboyant life style and stay in posh apartments in highbrow areas, they flash expensive jewelries and make merry everyday of their lives.

Some of them use computer to scam their victims, others use smart phones that can download applications mostly used by the hackers for their devilish act.

Rather than engage in lawful means of livelihood the best way to be rich is by venturing into cyber crime.

There is a section of this fraudsters population that believes in employing diabolical means to boost their ill gotten wealth, they called themselves Yahoo plus.

Some of them have been caught over blood ritual, stealing of ladies’ underwears among others.

There was an incidence in Akure, the Ondo State capital some time ago, one Khadijat Oluboyo who happened to be the daughter of a former Deputy Governor of Ondo State was alleged to have been used for money ritual by his boyfriend and buried her corpse under his bed for six days as instructed by the native doctor.

The alarming rate of corruption among government officials is a fuel that stokes the fire of cyber crimes.

The young people also want to live like the corrupt political class and decide to get their own share of ill gotten wealth through internet crime.

Also, the rate of unemployment encourage the youth to take internet fraud as another means of making money and earning a living.

Undergraduate leaves school after their parents invested a huge amount of money to get them education, they spend years at home without any hope of getting a paid employment.

Many also did not possess the ability to succeed in a legitimate way, because of the negative inspiration from the society that places much value on material wealth, many youth lost their essence and believe, they cannot make it in life without involving in fraudulent dealings.

Bad upbringing by parents also contribute to nurturing criminals, peer pressure has led many young people into crime.

Weak cyber security protocol used by government and private organisations also helps criminals to carry out their nefarious activities.

Also weak laws that fails to purnish criminals fuel cyber crime.

To curb computer based crime, there must be an improvement in network security that should neutralize threats to computer database and information.

Government should also introduce stringent laws to curb activities of the electronic fraudsters.

Government should support the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to curb cyber crime in Nigeria.

The youth must be made to undergo value orientation that would change their mindset from material wealth to hard work, there should be efforts to engage youth in vocational training to pave way for opportunities for decent jobs.

National Computer Society should build a platform to develop local methods using Information Communication Technology (ICT) to secure computer database from cyber crime criminals.

A security expert, Major Umoru Ali (Rtd) opined that the alarming increase in the number of youth engaging in the yahoo business is a clear confirmation of the commitment of young Nigerians to make it at all cost, with every possible means available and unfortunately lacking a ready platform to showcase their creativity and ingenuity.

He said, youth now go to school with a mindset that after graduation the next is to get a job and their dream life.

But when realised that there is no job, and nobody teaches them the skill to survive without a paid job, they are frustrated not knowing the next step to take in life, then from nowhere a friend pops up with a new car and living a luxurious lifestyle.

He stressed that, “the friend teaches him a way to defraud people and make money out of it, the friend commit himself into teaching the needed skills, buy a laptop and mentor him in the yahoo business.”

He further encouraged him not to work hard and within a short period money started coming in and he realised that is the only avenue available to him to actualise his dream.

“What I am trying to say is that most of the available platform for lots of young people to acquire skills to get rich unfortunately are provided by hoodlums and tricksters”

He opined that, a lot of young people have the desire to get rich at all cost, matching that desire with the only available platform to actualise that desire gave birth to what we today refer to as yahoo yahoo.

Umoru said, when government provides platform to educate young people on how to create wealth and build businesses, a lot of young people will be eager and willing to put in time and effort to learn. In other word government has a lot to do in re-engineering the psyche of the younger generation.

A security consultant, Chief Obasaju Oluwasegun said it is alarming and disturbing the rate at which youth engage in cyber crime nowadays.

He said an average Nigeria youth believe that the easiest way to get to the top is through crime and this later generate into cultism, arm robbery and terrorism.

Oluwasegun stressed further that the Nigeria system is bad, the government did not have plan for the youth and what they are concern about is those in power.

He said government should get the youth engage and give them sense of belonging, our institutions should imbibe the habit of preparing the youth for a better tomorrow.

Our security apparatus is porous, we have not digitalized our security system, that is why it is very difficult to trace the inflow of this money, if our security is digitalized all the money coming into the country through cyber crime will be traced and recovered.

“We need to do more in ensuring that the system is working, every citizen must support the effort of the government to rid the country of cyber crime and internet fraud. This crime should be seen as values to be espoused in our society”.