SOCIO-ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF ADVANCE FEE FRAUD AND ITS EFFECTS ON YOUTHS IN AWKA SOUTH LGA

Abstract

The study examined the socioeconomic determinants and consequences of advance fee fraud among youths in Awka South Local Government Area (LGA). The rate at which youths engage in advance fee fraud has become alarming and a matter of public concern, which necessitated this study. A mixed-method research design was adopted, and Differential Association Theory was used as the theoretical framework. The sample size was 204 respondents, and multi-stage sampling techniques were employed to select participants. The instruments of data collection included a structured questionnaire and an in-depth interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, with results presented in simple percentages and frequency tables. The study hypotheses were tested using Chi-square (χ²) inferential statistics. Qualitative data from the in-depth interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that 84.7% of youths view advance fee fraud as a means of survival and therefore perceive nothing wrong in engaging in it. The major factors influencing youths to engage in advance fee fraud include poor family background, unemployment, inadequate parental or guardian supervision, peer pressure, greed for money, and the need to belong. These factors have resulted in economic underdevelopment, poor academic performance, individual and corporate losses, breakdown of societal organization, and the erosion of social morals and values. The study recommends that the government create more employment opportunities to absorb jobless graduates; that non-governmental organizations conduct regular sensitization programs on the dangers of advance fee fraud; and that parents encourage vocational studies and support their wards in acquiring informal skills to cope with financial pressures.