STUDENTS PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA FRAUD: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

STUDENTS PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA FRAUD: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Abstract

One of the drawbacks of social media is the rise of online fraud committed by some questionable individuals. For instance, they “hijack” people’ accounts, commit identity fraud, or pretend to be a Facebook administrator or security guard, among other things. Once these social media accounts had been taken over, they were used to send phony messages to other users warning them that their accounts were about to be disabled and instructing them to click a link to verify their accounts. This investigation into student involvement in social media fraud was conducted. The University of Ibadan was chosen as the case study for this investigation. The descriptive research design was used for the investigation. A questionnaire was used to gather the information. According to the report, some students actively participate in social media fraud. The results of the studies also show that students who indulge in such activities suffer academically.

ASSUMABLE CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

FIRST CHAPTER: INTRODUCTION

1.1 The study’s context

1.2 Problem formulation

1.3 Study’s objective

1.4 Importance of the research

1.5 Study suppositions

1.6 The Study’s Scope and Limitations

1.7 Basic Terminology Definition

1.8 Study Organization

CHAPTERS 2 & 3

A REVIEW OF RELATED AND IMPORTANT WORKS

2.1 The Start

Conceptual Review 2.2

Theoretical Foundation

2.4 Empirical Research

RESEARCH METHODS IN CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Initiation

3.1 Research Approach

3.2 Data collecting methods

3.3 Population Calculation

3.4 Calculating the sample size

Instrumentation, 3.5%

Instrument Validation (3.6)

3.7 The Analysis Method Used

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION IN CHAPTER FOUR

Introduction (4.1)

4.2.1 Data Display

4.3 Data evaluation

4.4 Interpretation of Data

Chapter 5 concludes, summarizes, and makes a recommendation.

Introduction (5.1)

5.2 Summary and Findings

5.3 Study Synthesis

Recommendation: 5.4

Bibliography

Appendix

CHAPITER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Study’s Background

In the modern world, using social media to communicate with others is a practice that is here to stay. This is due to the fact that social media is a really handy tool for quickly staying in touch with a big number of diverse audiences. Users have access to a range of tools through platforms like Facebook, email, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among others, to stay in touch at all times. However, there are some drawbacks to the seemingly limitless sharing, swiping, liking, and retweeting options, not the least of which is that it makes users easier targets for online scams. One of the drawbacks of social media is the rise of online fraud committed by some questionable individuals. For instance, they “hijack” people’ accounts, commit identity fraud, or pretend to be a Facebook administrator or security guard, among other things. Then, false messages would be sent using these hacked social media accounts.

contacting other users, informing them that their accounts would soon be deactivated and directing them to visit a link to confirm their accounts. The users would then be taken to a fake Facebook page, which would frequently request their login credentials and credit card details in order to protect their account. Even while the number of people using social media is rising, scammers still use a variety of strategies, like this one. According to Global Internet Users (2017), as of March 2017, there were 3,739,698,500 active Internet users worldwide. With this number, it is clear that online activities will continue to soar, and people will utilize the Internet for a wide range of activities, such as email, chat, research, video communication, online banking, electronic commerce, and online auctions. As a result, Facebook users and email users who are irresponsible, stupid, or otherwise unprotected online are susceptible to hackers and scammers who promise to give mostly financial assistance. It may be said that these hackers and con artists are clever in their understanding of the views and expectations of the online people they are trying to con. Like those from other countries, Nigerians are frequent users of social media. Due to the unfathomable internet penetration and the emergence of mobile internet services, Nigerians now have greater access to online activities than ever before. According to a report from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 91.6 million people in Nigeria used the internet in June 2017 (The Sun, 2017). This growth has encouraged more people in Nigeria to use social media. On platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Blackberry Messenger, and Instagram, to name just a few among many social media networks via which Nigerians communicate and get information to suit their social needs, NCC stated that there is an increasing volume of information exchanged on them. According to the data, approximately 16 million Nigerians use Facebook, making them the continent’s most active users (omojuwa.com, 2017). This development shows that Nigerians are undoubtedly among the millions of social media users throughout the world who are vulnerable to internet fraud or scams. Nigerians of all ages have been victims or perpetrators of online scams and fraud, according to several media reports. Through the millions of Naira, Dollars, Pounds Sterling, and Euros in advance fee fraud, they ruin the lives of other Nigerians and foreigners (Gabriel, 2015). Gabriel (2015) claims that regardless of the name—419, Obtaining By Trick, OBT, or Yahoo-Yahoo—the situation is the same. The internet is being used by criminals to carry out schemes that cheat people out of their hard-earned money, ruin businesses, and ruin their lives. Numerous victims of these frauds, particularly young people who use social media and email, studies have shown (Button et al.; Ngo-Ye, 2013; Idolor, 2012; Graziolo and Jarvenpaa, 2003; Nikitkov and Bay, 2008). However, the majority of these studies concentrated on the types of these frauds, their methods, and the businesses or corporate entities that became victims. Little is known about the opinions of users, particularly among young people who make up the majority of users of these social media platforms (Duggan, 2015).

1.2 Problem Description

Students’ use of social media has significantly impacted their daily lives. It is exceedingly rare to find a student in higher education in Nigeria who is not active on social media. At least half of every class of 100 kids are active on multiple social networking sites. Being a part of many social media platforms gives students the chance to communicate and receive information, whether it is fabricated or real. This platform has demonstrated throughout time that it can assist in keeping the students informed. For instance, the classes might have Facebook groups for a specific level, Whatsapp groups for a specific level, and so forth. As participants use these platforms to ask for various forms of assistance depending on the type of group they are a part of, it has been determined that these platforms help those who are in need in trying circumstances. Social media has been characterized as a medium where some dishonest people defraud people of their money and perhaps even on their personalities in our modern day where technology is misused and handled incorrectly. The students are included on the list of groups that have been implicated in this heinous act, along with other groups of people. This study, which looks at how often students engage in social media fraud, is based on this assumption.

1.3 Study’s Objectives

The purpose of this study was to pursue the following goals and objectives:

to find out if students engage in social media fraud.

to examine the numerous social media fraud techniques.

to determine how social media fraud involvement affects kids’ academic performance.

Fraud on social media occurs when students participate without considering the results.

1.4 Importance of the research

Because we live in a time when information must appear on social media before it can reach the intended audience and even be widely believed to be true, this study is very important. This study is thus a snapshot in time. Additionally, this study will assist those who use social media as “victims to be” in making wiser decisions about their online personas and the information they share there. The study also adds to the body of scholarly literature.

1.5 Research Propositions:

The following hypotheses were created and put into testing by the study:

H0: The threat of social media fraud is not significantly used by students.

H1: A large number of pupils participate in the threat of social media fraud.

H0: There is a strong inverse correlation between students’ involvement in social media fraud and their academic performance.

H0: There is a strong correlation that is favorably skewed between

academic performance and social media fraud by pupils.

1.6 Study’s Purpose and Limitations

Examining students’ involvement in social media fraud is the main objective of this study. Higher education students from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and monotechnics were selected for this category. The high school kids were left out of the study. The survey also emphasizes well-known social networking sites like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, and Instagram. However, discussion boards on social networks like Nairaland and others are taken into account. The study was also constrained by time and some students’ careless attitude toward providing information on the questionnaire that was used to collect data.

1.7 Basic Terminology Definition

Being a part of or making a contribution to a specific task, activity, or group, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.

Social media: These are contemporary media channels that make it simple to send and receive multimedia communications over long distances.

Student: A recognized and registered individual participating in academic learning. tertiary institutions in this instance.

1.8 Study Organization

There are five chapters in the study. The study’s introduction and historical context are covered in chapter one. The second chapter reviews pertinent and related literature. The research methodology is presented in chapter three, while the study’s analysis and data interpretation are presented in chapter four. Chapter 5, which covers the summary, conclusion, and suggestion, brings the study to a close.