Cybercrime Issues Research Articles

Cybercrime in Association of Southeast Asian Nations: Regional Effort and Its Effectiveness

Abstract The world has already observed how digitalization is reshaping countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN has experienced a positive gross domestic product (GDP) trend of over US$3.6 trillion by 2022, becoming the fifth largest economy in the world. However, ASEAN countries have become a prime target for cybercrimes, such as online scam hubs where people are forced to work in scam centers, data breaches, and cyberattack launchpads. This study analyzes the effectiveness of ASEAN’s regional approach in dealing with cybercrime issues while considering ASEAN’s substantial challenges in enhancing its cooperation against cybercrime. The conclusions will provide policy recommendations for strengthening ASEAN’s cybercrime framework.

The need for cybercrime regulation on a global scale by the international law and cyber convention

This study highlights the necessity of controlling the issue of Cybercrime with International Law Principles and treaties, the legal foundation of international cybercrime legislation. The paper pursued normative behavior relying on the legislation of the European Union and countries outside of Europe. The implications of Cybercrime in cyberattack events establish a legal foundation for preventing and punishing cyber criminals wherever they occur. The perceived threats arising from cyberattack activities are grounded in known cyberattack behaviors and literature, underscoring the imminent nature of these threats. The Convention on Cybercrime, inaugurated in Budapest, Hungary, in November 2001, is recognized as a pivotal international agreement addressing Cybercrime and electronic evidence. The negotiation process included the Council of Europe, United States, Japan, Canada, and South African participants. Significantly, nations across Africa, the Americas, and the Asia/Pacific are harnessing this agreement to implement robust strategies against cybercrime. Cybercrime is a new area of international law, namely, International Criminal Law. The international community handles it because no convention has identified Cybercrime globally. It is urgent to govern Cybercrime globally, and statistics imply that the need to regulate Cybercrime under international criminal law is critical. The paper adopts a method designed to deeply understand the global legal structures related to cybercrime. The study employs a comprehensive approach, merging normative legal research to meticulously examine and interpret key legal documents such as the Budapest Convention, with a comparative legal analysis both within the European Union and globally. This analysis scrutinizes various jurisdictions, identifying best practices and discrepancies to inform a holistic understanding of cybercrime regulation. Policy analysis is conducted to critically assess existing strategies and propose innovative solutions, while technological insights are integrated to ensure legal frameworks are attuned to the rapidly evolving landscape of cyber threats. Involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including legal scholars and cybersecurity experts, the research offers a diverse perspective. This multifaceted approach aims to balance thorough legal scrutiny with actionable solutions, promoting robust and flexible strategies for international cybercrime regulation. The results of this comprehensive study underscore the urgent need for a global, unified legal response to combat cybercrime effectively. It concludes that the Budapest Convention marks a significant turning point, offering a foundation for international cooperation and legal harmonization in tackling cybercrimes. However, the rapid technological advancements and the evolving sophistication of cyber threats demand that this convention and other international legal instruments adapt and expand accordingly. The study highlights the importance of harmonizing legal definitions and practices across different jurisdictions, both in common law and civil law countries, cybercrime address the borderless nature of cybercrime. The necessity for enhanced collaboration between public and private sectors in cybercrime investigations is emphasized, alongside the importance of establishing ethical data collection and sharing standards.

How cybercrime sentiment shapes mobile banking adoption in Islamic banking

Purpose – This study aims to identify the factors influencing the adoption of mobile banking in the context of cybercrime issues in digital banking services by focusing on a case study of Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) customers.Methodology – This study examined five independent variables as mediators: cybercrime issue sentiment, security perceptions, convenience, digital literacy, cybersecurity awareness, and trust. It involves 100 BSI customer respondents and is analyzed using the SEM-PLS method.Findings – The findings indicate that Cybercrime issue sentiment and perceived security positively impact trust. However, this trust does not influence mobile banking adoption, suggesting that other factors may dominate adoption decision-making. Convenience and cybersecurity awareness affect mobile banking adoption, whereas digital literacy does not.Implications – Cybercrime is a crucial aspect of mobile banking usage, making customer awareness essential. To increase customer trust, BSI needs to strengthen and enhance digital security and educate customers about cybersecurity risks. Improving the convenience of mobile banking services is crucial to attracting more users. Cybersecurity awareness is also essential; therefore, BSI needs to conduct educational programs and campaigns to improve digital literacy and reduce the negative impact of cybercrime.Originality – The implications provide insights for banks, especially BSI, in maintaining customer trust and increasing mobile banking adoption. The results are expected to assist customers and BSI in focusing on cybersecurity, protecting personal data, and enhancing user convenience. Understanding the factors influencing mobile banking adoption in the continually evolving digital banking environment can help banks take relevant action and focus on customer needs.

The Major Challenges Facing the Development of African Countries, and Algeria in Particular, in the Face of Cybercrime

The rapid development of information and communication technologies is closely related to the exponential growth in data volumes. At the same time, the development of enterprise strategies coupled with the digital economy has led to changes in business models and infrastructure solutions. The emergence of innovative industries that extensively use the internet has presented significant challenges to the security of systems and sensitive data, particularly in the field of cybercrime. In order to address the growing issue of cybercrime, African nations, among which Algeria is the largest country, need to build a series of digital barriers in the form of legislation, multilateral agreements, and the development of technical capacity in this area, such as the creation of cybersecurity centers. The implementation of an effective cybersecurity strategy is strongly required on a national, regional, and continental scale. According to the last report of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2020, Mauritius is ranked as the most secure country in Africa in terms of cybersecurity, followed by South Africa in the second rank. A successful economy inherently involves a digital economy and a bold strategy to counter all the “nuisance” of cybercrimes. Algeria, despite its relatively low ranking in the last report of the Global Cybersecurity Index, has made significant progress when compared to its neighbors. With its excellent internet connectivity and a young and dynamic population, Algeria’s positive economic indicators are certain to improve even further with the desired membership it seeks in the BRICS organization. Given these considerations, it follows that South Africa as well as Algeria possess the potential to serve as locomotives for the development of the whole of Africa.

Economic cybercrime in the diaspora: case of Ghanaian nationals in the USA

Purpose This study aims to delve into economic cybercrime within the African diaspora, with a specific focus on Ghanaian nationals residing in the USA. It aims to shed light on the nuanced and unique approaches that diasporic actors adopt to execute economic cybercrimes, especially online frauds. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on press releases and official indictments collected from the U.S. Department of Justice, the study adopted content analysis. Through this approach, the study outlines its findings Findings The analysis reveals patterns in economic cybercrimes among Ghanaians abroad. Notably, the findings suggest that diasporic individuals often work with local accomplices to perpetrate various economic cybercrimes, with money laundering being particularly prevalent among those living outside their home country. This underscores the profound influence of geographical location on the choice of cybercriminal activities. Moreover, the research reveals that diasporic actors use several tactics, including adopting false identities to interact with victims and the creation of sham companies for laundering money. Additionally, demographic characteristics such as age and gender seem to significantly influence the involvement of diasporic individuals in economic cybercrimes. Research limitations/implications The research was primarily based on press releases and official indictments within the USA. Although these sources offer substantial insight into the rise of cybercrime among Ghanaian diaspora members, their focus on specific data types and geographical regions might constrain our comprehension of the nuances of this phenomenon, particularly across various diasporic groups and regions. Hence, future research could enhance our understanding by conducting fieldwork, not just in the USA but also in other areas using primary data to delve deeper into the issue of cybercrime within the diaspora. Practical implications The study’s findings have implications for individuals, organizations and policymakers alike. By understanding the strategies of economic cybercrime offenders, as demonstrated in this research, individuals can be better equipped to navigate digital technologies for both personal and business purposes. Moreover, policymakers and government agencies can use these insights to develop policies aimed at mitigating the spread of economic cybercrimes, particularly within diasporic communities. Originality/value The paper stands out for its innovative approach and scope. While numerous studies have explored cybercrime activities, the prevalence among diasporic actors remains underexamined. Through its methodology and scope, this paper opens avenues for further research into the phenomenon of cybercrime within diasporic communities.

Carding Crime in Makassar City: Juridical Review As an Issues of Cybercrime

This study analyzes the juridical review of carding crime in Makassar City as part of cybercrime. The purpose of this study is to provide scientific benefits in the field of legal studies as well as provide practical and academic input for authors and interested parties to understand the criminal law arrangements against carding crimes and countermeasures. The research method used is the method of normative juridical literature, referring to legal norms in legislation, literature, expert opinions, and papers. The results showed that the laws that are the focus of the study are Law No. 19 of 2016 on amendments to Law No. 11 of 2008 on information and electronic transactions, as well as the Criminal Code (KUHP).

Evaluation of Various Topological Indices of Flabellum Graphs

Graph theory serves as an engaging arena for the investigation of proof methods within the field of discrete mathematics, and its findings find practical utility in numerous scientific domains. Chemical graph theory is a specialized branch of mathematics that uses graphs to represent and analyze the structure and properties of chemical compounds. Topological indices are mathematical properties of graphs that play a crucial role in chemistry. They provide a unique way to connect the structural characteristics of chemical compounds to their corresponding molecular graphs. The flabellum graph Fn(k,j) is obtained with the help of k≥2 duplicates of the cycle graph Cn with a common vertex (known as, central vertex). Then, in j of these duplicates, additional edges are added, joining the central vertex to all non-adjacent vertices. In this article, we compute different degree-based topological indices for flabellum graphs, including some well known indices, such as the Randić index, the atom bond connectivity index, the geometric–arithmetic index, and the Zagreb indices. This research provides an in-depth examination of these specific indices within the context of flabellum graphs. Moreover, the behavior of these indices is shown graphically, in terms of the parameters j,k, and n. Additionally, we have extended the concept of the first Zagreb index, to address the issue of cybercrime. This application enables us to identify criminals who exhibit higher levels of activity and engagement in multiple criminal activities when compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, we conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of the first Zagreb index against the closeness centrality measure. This analysis sheds light on the effectiveness and relevance of the topological index in the context of cybercrime detection and network analysis.

Prosecuting Cybercrimes under International Legal Frameworks: Challenges and Innovations

Combating cybercrime is one of the most relevant areas of the legal community development since the widespread integration of digital technologies into all spheres of human activity demonstrates the need to regulate this sensitive area. The aims: are to study the international legal framework for countering cybercrime, as well as the system of challenges and innovations that exist in the modern world. Study design: 31 items of relevant scientific literature were analysed, which made it possible to comprehensively consider the issues of the article. Place and duration the study: The research took place during the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic years. Methodology: the main methods used in the article were the content analysis, forecasting method, and systematic method. Results: in the article modern interpretations of the term “cybercrime” were defined, certain legal international agreements that counteract its spread (primarily the Budapest Convention as an important current document of modern legal influence) and traces the mechanisms of counteraction and methods of their improvement were examined. Other important legal acts, such as the European Union Directive on the prevention of cyber-attacks on information systems and the European Commission Directive on combating fraud and other financial crimes on the Internet, were also considered. As a result, it was found that there were differences at the interstate level in the organisation of the cooperation, which included multilateral and bilateral agreements. The identified problems included insufficient interaction between the law enforcement agencies of different countries at the relevant stages, as well as the lack of an agreed mechanism for obtaining external data. The conclusions established that close ties at the level of international law enforcement systems aimed at addressing cybercrime issues could be effective in overcoming these difficulties.

Politicization of Economic Cybercrime: Perceptions Among Ghanaian Facebook Users

ABSTRACT Cybercrime remains a focal point in global and regional discussions concerning contemporary issues in West Africa. In line with this discourse, this article delves into the intricate web of viewpoints that envelop the issue of cybercrime in Ghana, with emphasis on Ghana social media users’ opinion. Our study focuses on analyzing comments related to cybercrime that have been shared by Ghanaian Facebook users. Through thematic analysis, we dissect the primary narratives that revolve around cybercrime in these discussions. What we discovered in our study goes beyond the traditional portrayal of cybercrime as mere unlawful activity. Instead, we have shown a paradoxical sentiment held by Ghanaians who use Facebook. Cybercrime is evolving into a method for marginalized sections of society to push back against Western dominance, internal political hegemonic, and secure financial stabilities. This trend often unfolds within the broader context of challenging governmentalities. Our research challenges the typical focus on cybercrime as primarily a criminal matter. It prompts a reevaluation, urging us to explore cybercrime within the framework of various socioeconomic and political environments. As a result, our study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of individuals attitude toward cybercrime in Ghana, reshaping the way we approach and discuss it.

An approach to cybercrime issues in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria

This study investigated cybercrime issues in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State. The study aimed to understand the various types of cybercrimes that the community faces and the resulting impacts, particularly educational and psychological effects on the victims. Additionally, the study discussed the main causes of these crimes, particularly among young people. To achieve these aims, the study collected data from 115 residents of Dandume using a structured questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using statistical tables. The results showed that cybercrime is prevalent in the Dandume community, with many of the participants reporting that they had experienced one form of cybercrime or the other. The most common types of cybercrime reported by the participants were yahoo attack, social media hijacking, credit card threat, government offer scam, and airtime scam. Furthermore, the study revealed that many of the participants were not aware of the various ways they could protect themselves from cybercrime. Furthermore, the study highlighted the effects of these crimes on the victims and discussed the main causes of cybercrimes among users of internet in the area. The paper made some recommendations for minimizing the challenges of cybercrime in Nigeria. The study underscored the importance of community education and awareness-raising on the dangers of cybercrime and suggests the need for increased efforts to implement security measures to protect residents from cybercriminals.

Financial Technology (Fintech) and Cybersecurity: A Systematic Literature Review.

This research aims to identify the threats posed by cybercrime to the fintech sector, as well as the preventative measures taken by the industry in the form of cybersecurity. This study employs a systematic literature review approach to analyzing previously published publications on cybercrime and cybersecurity in the financial technology industry. The survey found that cybercrime issues in the fintech industry include lax cybercrime rules, theft of data and information, and infringement of intellectual property. Proactive measures strengthened legislation, and establishing a trustworthy cybersecurity framework or system may all be used to combat cybercrime in the fintech industry.
 This study's findings may serve as a resource for academics, practitioners, regulators, and fintech players interested in learning more about the evolution of cybercrime and cybersecurity in the financial technology sector. While this study does an excellent job of summarizing and expanding upon the research findings in each chosen article, it needs to analyze the connections between the pieces. Broadening the scope of the article under evaluation, using other literature review techniques, or doing more empirical research are all viable options for recommending additional studies to corroborate the findings of the current one.

Some New Challenges of Cybercrime and the Reason for Its Outdated Regulations

Purpose – The purpose of the research is to show what cybercrime is and how the arsenal of cybercriminals has evolved and legal regulations that exist today no longer respond to the challenges that would make the fight against cybercrime effective. Design/methodology/approach – The author of the research searched for the latest legal and multidisciplinary literature on the issue of cybercrime. Using various scientific methods, the mentioned literature was analyzed and summarized to present the essence and problems of fighting against cybercrime. Findings – In the conditions of modern technological development, there are many benefits along with negative facts. Cyberspace is not a safe place for the majority of the population. During the search process, it appeared that, with the arrival of each new day, the arsenal of cybercriminals is getting richer, to which law enforcement agencies do not have an appropriate response. Consequently, the process of fighting cybercrime becomes difficult due to outdated legal regulations. Research limitations/implications – The research examined the latest opinions that are being debated in international legal circles. The problems that are on the agenda and which are important to solve have appeared. Accordingly, the paper offers the latest ways to correct the current situation, make recommendations and solve existing problems. Originality/value – Cyberspace is the most important space for many people, also for private and public structures. Solving the current issues on the agenda is important to make working in cyberspace safe for each person and organization.

Some New Challenges of Cybercrime and Reasons Why Regulations are Outdated

Purpose – The purpose of the research is to show what cybercrime is and how the arsenal of cybercriminals has evolved and legal regulations that exist today no longer respond to the challenges that would make the battle against cybercrime effective. Design/methodology/approach – The author of the research searched for the latest legal and multidisciplinary literature on the issue of cybercrime. Using various scientific methods, the mentioned literature was analyzed and summarized to present the essence and problems of fighting against cybercrime. Findings – In the conditions of modern technological development, there are many benefits along with negative facts. Cyberspace is not a safe place for the majority of the population. During the search process, it appeared that, with the arrival of each new day, the arsenal of cybercriminals is getting richer, to which the law enforcement structures do not have an appropriate response. Consequently, the process of battling cybercrime becomes difficult due to outdated legal regulations. Research limitations/implications – The research examined the latest opinions that are being debated in international legal circles. The problems that are on the agenda and which are important to solve have appeared. Accordingly, the paper offers the latest ways to correct the current situation, make recommendations and solve existing problems. Originality/value – Cyberspace is the most important space for many people, also for private and public structures. Solving the current issues on the agenda is important to make working in cyberspace safe for each person and organization.

DATA SECURITY APPROACH ON CYBERCRIME USING WEB VULNERABILITY

Internet could be a major supply of spreading terrorist act through speeches and videos. Terrorist organizations use net particularly social networks to brain wash people and promote terrorist activities through provocative websites that inspire helpless individuals to affix terrorist organizations. Therefore, here we have a tendency to propose Associate in Nursing economical net data processing system to observe such net properties and flag them mechanically for human review. websites are created from hypertext mark-up language (Hypertext markup language). In numerous arrangements and have pictures, texts etc., intermixed on a single website. Here, we have a tendency to used data processing further as net mining to observe patterns and mine out matter info on websites. Here, we have a tendency to are victimization E-mail System to observe the unwanted messages that are additional prone to terrorist act and can send to the spam on to the recipient who is victimization the system. Despite the speedy increase of cyber threats, there has still been very little analysis into the foundations of the topic or methodologies that would serve to guide info systems researchers and practitioners UN agency touch upon cybersecurity. additionally, very little is thought regarding crime- as-a-service (CaaS), a criminal business model that underpins the crime underground. This analysis gap and also the sensible cybercrime issues we have a tendency to face have impelled North American nation to research the crime underground economy by taking an information analytics approach from a style science perspective. to realize this goal, we: (1) propose a data analysis framework for analyzing the crime underground; (2) propose CaaS and crimeware definitions; (3) propose Associate in Nursing associated classification model, Associate in Nursingd (4) develop an example application to demonstrate however the planned framework and classification model might be enforced in apply. We then use this application to research the crime underground economy by analyzing an oversized knowledge set obtained from the net hacking community. By taking a style science analysis approach, this paper contributes to the planning of the email phishing in the area of cybercrime and the area is to fulfill the data security to the email messages consisting the data and providing them the security using the naïve bayes to planning the International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management (IJSREM) Volume: 06 Issue: 05 | May - 2022 Impact Factor: 7.185 ISSN: 2582-3930 © 2022, IJSREM | www.ijsrem.com DOI: 10.55041/IJSREM12419 | Page 2 industries will harden attacks by the crime underground. Among these, one of the attack is the email phishing. Keywords: CAAS (Crimeware-as-a-Service), ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol), IRC (Internet Relay Chat), MIB (Management Information Base), CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures).

Improved Multi-Verse Optimizer Feature Selection Technique With Application To Phishing, Spam, and Denial Of Service Attacks

Intelligent classification systems proved their merits in different fields including cybersecurity. However, most cybercrime issues are characterized of being dynamic and not static classification problems where the set of discriminative features keep changing with time. This indeed requires revising the cybercrime classification system and pick a group of features that preserve or enhance its performance. Not only this but also the system compactness is regarded as an important factor to judge on the capability of any classification system where cybercrime classification systems are not an exception. The current research proposes an improved feature selection algorithm that is inspired from the well-known multi-verse optimizer (MVO) algorithm. Such an algorithm is then applied to 3 different cybercrime classification problems namely phishing websites, spam, and denial of service attacks. MVO is a population-based approach which stimulates a well-known theory in physics namely multi-verse theory. MVO uses the black and white holes principles for exploration, and wormholes principle for exploitation. A roulette selection schema is used for scientifically modeling the principles of white hole and black hole in exploration phase, which bias to the good solutions, in this case the solutions will be moved toward the best solution and probably to lose the diversity, other solutions may contain important information but didn’t get chance to be improved. Thus, this research will improve the exploration of the MVO by introducing the adaptive neighborhood search operations in updating the MVO solutions. The classification phase has been done using a classifier to evaluate the results and to validate the selected features. Empirical outcomes confirmed that the improved MVO (IMVO) algorithm is capable to enhance the search capability of MVO, and outperform other algorithm involved in comparison.

Assess The Role of Social Media in Transforming Police Services. The Case of Zrp Harare Province [2010-2020

There has been a very significant widespread use of social media by the large sections of the population including in the uniformed forces. This study was assessing the role of social media in transforming police force in Harare Province of Zimbabwe Republic Police between 2010 to 2020. To identify the current services being offered by the police in Zimbabwe. Some of the objectives of the study included investigating the importance of social media use within ZRP in Zimbabwe and examining the challenges faced by police in using social media in the operations of the police. Some of the research questions included what is the importance of using social media in the operations of ZRP and what are the benefits and challenges of the police using social media in Zimbabwe? The research used a descriptive research design as this design suited the topic which is not quantitative in nature. The study is critical to ZRP as it will assist to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the operations of the police force. The research adopted the use of convenient sampling in selecting respondents for this study Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from the respondents. Findings of the research do indicate that there is widespread use of social media within the Zimbabwe Republic Police. It further indicated that there is official position with regards to use of social media but officers in various ranks have resorted to use of the social media in their operations and this has enhanced the success of the police work. The study concludes by arguing in favour of using social media for police work. Finally, the study recommends adoption of policy that regulates the use of social media within the police force and the police training should integrate the issues of cyber-crime and social media.

Cyber Criminal Policy In The Perspective Of Decency

Cyber crime is one of the forms or a new dimension of evil today gets wide attention in the international world. One of the problems that is very unsettling and got the attention of various circles is the issue of cyber crime in the field decency which later became known by the term cyber adultery. That cyber adultery in essentially no different with crime/violation of decency in general, such as adultery. Cyber adultery/cyber sex can be viewed as satisfaction/excitement maya (virtual gratification) that is associated with sexual expression, and a new form of intimacy (a new type of intimacy). An intimate relationship or intimacy (intimacy) it can also contains the meaning of sexual intercourse or adultery. This means that cyber sex is a form of new from adultery. To overcome this problem, it takes its criminal policies in an effort crime prevention, which in essence is an integral part of the effort the protection of society (social defence) and the efforts of the social welfare (social welfare).

Forensics to Government Agencies Data using Hyper Ledger Fabric (HLF)

Security issues are increasing day by day all over the world. Cyber issues are one of the major issues that cause cyber-attacks involving Malware, Phishing, and Ransomware attack. Pakistan is also one of the major countries that are facing cybercrime issues. The most important firms are government agencies like NADRA, Law Firm, and Police Firm. Pakistan has still not made a refined structure to ensure its security from advanced risks. By, and by it has transformed into a national security hazard for Pakistan because the individual data of the government is not secured. Multiple attacks on the NADRA server have occurred in the past. The reason is the centralization server, and security flaws. With the coming of Technology in the 21st century, and security worries that happens due to cybercrimes. Individuals are currently pushing toward new advances, the main thing that comes in the mind to keep away from security hazards, is to circulate the information among various individuals, so the idea of decentralization comes in. A technology that recently has gathered a lot of attention is Blockchain technology. Its decentralized nature gives secure, secret, and basic intends to keep up the records without alteration. Blockchain provides immutability, Integrity, helps enhanced security, distributed ledger, and also provides consensuses. So for government organizations like NADRA data is the most important thing, if this data is compromised due to security flaws then it’s happened a national security hazard that causes leakages of the nation's personal information. So this thesis purpose how to secure data using Blockchain technology a private Blockchain technology. An architectural view is presented with the help of use cases for government organizations NADRA, Police Firm, and Law Firm using HLF Blockchain technology. This thesis also presents the design, and architecture of how organizations work, and interact with one another. Using this design, and architecture we will be able to provide forensic to government organization data which makes it more secure from cyber threats.

Changing Societal Culture and the Conundrum of Cybercrime in Nigeria

The integration of nations through the instrumentality of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) comes with the issue of cybercrime which has become a 21st century crime that cut across national boundaries. The problematics of cybercrime has become an issue that has put Nigeria on a negative limelight among the comity of nations. Despite government effort at combating the menace, it has become a reoccurring phenomenon. Disconcertingly, the laws enacted and institutions setup has not yielded much results. This study draws on both primary and secondary sources of data. It examines the issue of cybercrime and the activities of cyber impostors by problematizing the relationship between the structure and function of societal institutions. Analysis of responses from in-depth interview reveals that positive values is gradually eroding the Nigerian state. The study therefore indicts poverty, unemployment, greed and desperation, lack and weak family values as well as weak institutions as triggers of cybercrimes in Nigeria. It recommends that all state institutions must work in synergy to curb the threat, the academic curriculum has to be reviewed to accommodate current realities, families need to become active and alive to their responsibility as the first agent of education and discipline. Channels that can guarantee anonymous reportage of cyber ruffians should be created so that well-meaning citizens could whistle blow suspected cases for onward investigation.

UNDERSTANDING CYBERCRIME AND YOUTH: A PERCEPTION BASED APPROACH

In recent years, the issue of cybercrime has overwhelmed everyone who is related to the internet in any capacity. Recent studies have shown that the incidents of cybercrime vastly involve youngsters, which has serious consequences for them as victims and as cyber offenders. The existing body of knowledge related to cybercrime focus upon various issues of internet in general and social media in particular. However, a thorough approach on the issues of cybercrime with relevance to youth is missing. Therefore, this study tries to fill this gap by offering youth and victim-based approach on the issues pertaining to cybercrime. For attaining this purpose, qualitative research approach was adopted in conducting this research project. Semi structured interviews were conducted with 40 young victims of cybercrime. The respondents were recruited through purposive sampling from district Peshawar of 18 to 25 years of age. Furthermore, the respondents were recruited from three clusters of district Peshawar namely Gul Bahar, Hayat Abad, and University town. Various dimensions of cybercrime and involvement of youth as victims and as criminals were explored. It can be concluded that the youth mostly experience cybercrime in the form of cyber bullying, blackmailing and hacking. Further, the findings suggest that many youngsters make their choices on social media and internet without being aware of cybercrimes and thus succumbed to cyber criminals. The participants also reiterated that lack of proper restrictions and policing have created a crime friendly zone for cyber criminals. Based on the findings and participant views, it is recommended that the government, relevant bodies, institutions, and all stake holders including youth should come forward and help in developing a research and technology driven policy backed by separate cybercrime policing system. Key Words: Cyber space, Cybercrime, Victimization, Cybercriminal, Youth