08
July
By Roger Yomba Ngue, Dhaxle Chief Executive Officer In News Comments
Cybercrimes happen to be an international issue, and
all countries are concerned about this phenomenon. This term is generally used
to describe illegal activities occurring on the internet (Olowu, 2009). A more
detailed definition has been given by the Federal Bureau of Investigations
(FBI). According to them, cybercrimes span across a diverse range of scenarios,
including crimes against children, theft of intellectual residences and
publications, and intentional dissemination of malware to commit national and
international internet fraud (FBI, 2010).
This phenomenon is on the rise in Africa. Some explain
it is due to the effects of the increasing social capital of African economies,
which, in turn, takes the form of a colossal use of deception. In many African
countries, crime, corruption, social engineering, commercial enterprise fraud,
and financial deceptions now influence commercial enterprise activities. Also,
they dominate the mode of conducting economic transactions (Bayart
Jean-François, 1999).
One of the first illicit economic problems in Africa,
particularly Nigeria, was the issue of scams. A scam can be defined as
deception of individuals who voluntarily choose to participate in a trade on
the promise of receiving goods, intangible benefits, services, or economic
returns that will not be provided or are grossly misrepresented (Pouryousefi
& Frooman, 2019). A scam could take the form of emails, products, or
services that illicit individuals pose to offer. It is always difficult to
track individuals that perpetuate these illegal acts since most of their
victims are ashamed to complain. In the past few years, many African countries
have been pointed out by western countries as being hotbeds for dangerous
scammers: Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Cameroon, and others.
In the list above, the worse cases of scams have been
seen in Nigeria. This problem harms Nigeria as a country and its economy,
jeopardizing the country's image and fretting foreign investors from settling.
For example, Nigeria stays on the outer edge of a unique worldwide revolution,
due to the cybercrimes rampant in the country. International service vendors
such as Amazon, Spotify, and PayPal are cautious to operate there, even though
Nigeria has 200 million people that may require their services (OLOWOREKENDE,
2019).
In order to combat the scams from Nigeria, it is
essential that we first outline the causes of these scams.
§
High
unemployment rate
§
Poor
leadership
§
High
level of corruption
§
Poor
social amenities and development
§
High
poverty rate
§
Laziness
among youths
How to Fight Scams From Nigeria?
Nobody comes into this world as a criminal, but
society does change our mentality. It is essential to understand the reasons
why someone will get involved in these illegal activities, as well as what the
mindset of scammers is, mostly called the “yahoo boy” so we can fight back
against this phenomenon.
Scam origins in Nigeria originate back in the 1980s,
when crude oil price crumbled. Shehu Shagari’s administration oversaw a lengthy
period of economic decline that caused a spike in unemployment, and a billowing
poverty problem that kick-started the postal fraud era.
Even if Nigeria is now the Africa's largest economy,
the unemployment rate is still high, at 23.1% (Statistics, 2018). The high
unemployment rate in Nigeria is caused by rapid population growth in
combination with rural-urban migration. Furthermore, the corruption and misuse
of national funds which could have helped in job creations (Uddin & Uddin,
2013). Additionally, a low standard of education, where most Nigerian graduates
are unemployed because their courses did not allow them to acquire practical
skills (Olawale, 2018).
Highlighted below are ways to combat scam from
Nigeria.
1.
The
political leaders in Nigeria should represent the people's interest rather than
their selfish desires by fighting corruption, making basic amenities available,
and improving its power sector. This will all help build a better future for
its citizens that will turn them away from being involved in scams.
2.
The
issue of unemployment should be tackled seriously, as this is the primary
reason its youth engage in scam activities. That can be achieved by creating
more job initiatives and entrepreneurship seminars for its citizens,
encouraging them to start-up their own businesses, rather than relying on
companies and the government for employment.
3.
The
Nigerian educational system should be adjusted. Particular attention should be
put on technical or professional and entrepreneurial fields, to build not only
a literate population, but also a professional and active one.
Ways
in Which Scams Have Affected the Money Transfer Services in Nigeria
The money transfer sector has, over time, played an
enormous role in the vast population in Nigeria, as a number of its citizens
use online transfer services for different purposes. However, due to the scam
activities popular among Nigerians, transfer agencies available in the country
have proven, over time, that they can’t be trusted by individuals who make use
of their services. Even the most prominent transfer agencies in the country, like
MoneyGram and Western Union, have failed in their database security and
management ethics. Most of their staff works hand-in-hand with the perpetrators
of these scam activities.
Typically, it is very difficult for you to reverse or
track a transaction that has a receipt where it can be picked up from one of
many locations. Furthermore, the poor customer service will be unhelpful,
making it impossible to identify the receipt or track an individual down. So,
even Nigerians themselves who are immigrants are aware of these scam activities
in their country, as most of them as retorted in making use of indigenous means
of sending money back home. They either give money to a relative traveling back
home or make use of one-on-one transactions. This leads to the question, what
other alternative do Nigerians have?
What
Makes Dhaxle Significantly Different?
Dhaxle provides an exceptional transfer solution that
is safe and convenient no matter where you are located. Of course, we more than
a money transfer operator, bringing more value to your transfer through our
four categories of value-added services.
§
Real
Estate & Property Management
§
Farms
& Agra-business
§
Small
Business
§
Kitty
Savings for Investments
Our reliable database is handled by the best
professionals to mitigate any unforeseen circumstances, giving you assurance
that your transaction is in the best hands from start to finish, with a
supportive and top customer service satisfaction.
Dhaxle
Using Nigeria creativity to Build a Better Future Together
Irrespective of the scam activities taking a toll on
the image and economy of the country, Nigerians have, over time, proven to be
creative and productive, even with the meager resources and services within
their grasp. This is astounding for a nation that has over 200 million people.
Many of its citizens are active in agriculture, commerce, real estate and
property management, small business, and other sectors. However, due to the
challenges they face, they are cautious about scaling out their business
globally. This is why Dhaxle has come to bridge that gap, through its highly
vetted transfer technology, which is trusted by millions of individuals and
businesses worldwide.
Dhaxle, being exceptionally experienced and
knowledgeable with transfer technology, feels Nigerians will stand to gain a
great deal from their value-adding services attached to their online transfer
service. This will extensively help to build a better future for small
businesses, entrepreneurs, and immigrants, complementing Nigeria’s creativity in
agriculture, commerce, small business, real estate and property management.
Encourage Personal
Initiative
Dhaxle is already playing a significant role in facilitating cash flowing
from abroad to Nigeria and vice versa, as well as facilitating diaspora investment
in the country. It is now taking into account people who do not have relatives
abroad, or capital, but have great ideas. Dhaxle can organize entrepreneurship
competition, whose winner will have the opportunity to open fundraising through
the Dhaxle platform and acquire investors. Nigeria will benefit from new job
creation, which will lead to improved living standards in Nigeria, reducing the
criminality rate. On the other hand, the
diaspora will also benefit from investment portfolio diversification.
Also, for any initiative that Dhaxle may have, such as
design changing, website changing, and marketing strategy changing, there will
always be organized contests, to give opportunities to others to express
themselves.
A. Train Students
In a study by Aboluwodi (2008), some students thought the lecture method
the teacher often used did not promote innovative skills. As a result, Dhaxle,
with extensive expertise in this area, can organize open-door meetings in
universities or high school to explain the practice side of his activities. He
can go far by proposing holiday or professional internships for the best
students. This will encourage participation in training for a professional and
active population. This adds to the fact that it will also encourage other young
students to work hard and have better role models.
B. Encourage E-Commerce
They are several small businesses in Nigeria who want
to go abroad and reach a wider target. However, online payment platforms like
PayPal are not accessible to them. Dhaxle provides an affordable rate for
Nigerian small businesses and entrepreneurs to allow them to increase their
scale.
Final Thoughts
Scams and other illicit activities in Nigeria are
caused by poor management, unequal resource distribution, and poor leadership.
It should be kept in mind that scammers represent a small proportion of the
Nigerian population, and all Nigerians should participate in eradicating this
phenomenon from its political system. Parents and educators should educate the
youth, while role models and media should promote better values.
The best potential
for a thriving Nigeria is its population, which is young and creative. In this
same way, Dhaxle has a reputable company that provides a platform encouraging
wealth creation in the lives of Nigerians through the value-adding services
attached to its transfer technology. This provides you with the best resources
internationally and locally that will help to build a better future, together.References
Aboluwodi, A. (2008). Deploying Creative
Thinking to Strengthen Entrepreneurial Capability Among University Students in
Nigeria. Journal of Education and Research, 93-108.
Bayart
Jean-François, E. S. (1999). Criminalization of the state in Africa. James
Currey: Oxford.
Investigations),
F. (. (2010, February 25). Cyber Investigations. Retrieved from
http://www.brighthub.com/internet/security-rivacy/articles/65042.aspx
Ndjio, B.
(2008). Cameroonian feymen and Nigerian ‘419’ scammers: Two examples of
Africa’s ‘reinvention’ of the global capitalism. African Studies Centre
Leiden, The Netherlands.
Statistics,
N. B. (2018). Labor Force Statistics - Volume I: Summary. Retrieved from
https://nigerianstat.gov.ng/elibrary?queries[search]=unemployment