ECONOMIC LIVELIHOOD AND CYBER FRAUD: A STUDY OF THE MOTIVATIONS, INCOME AND EXPENDITURE PATTERNS OF YAHOO BOYS IN OGHARA, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Cyber fraud or yahoo-yahoo has been elevated to the status of a vocation or business among the youths in Nigeria. Hence, the proliferation and acceptance of cyberfraud as a personal income earning occupationis continuing unabated across towns and villages in the country with scam craft emerge as a career choice for many young people. This paper examines the economic issues relating to the motivation, income and expenditure patterns of yahoo boys in Oghara. The qualitative research design was adopted for the study while the in-depth interview technique, complemented by non-participant observation was the instruments for data collection. A sample of 18 yahoo boys was obtained using the purposive and the snowballing techniques. Data collected was thematically arranged andanalysed. The findings revealed that youth decisions to take to yahoo-yahoo scam are economic, as their entry was influenced by the desire for quick financial successes. The finding also indicates that the huge proceeds from the scam are usually lavished on articles of ostentation and on supposedly girlfriends. The study recommends an enactment of laws by the Government to deter yahoo and cybercrime offenders; deployment technologies, and re-orientation campaign for reformation of repentant yahoo boys.