Understanding Cybercrime in Developing Economies: Insights from Agona Swedru, Ghana

Obeng, Charles ; Kumah, Paul Kwasi ; Asiedu, Hubert Bimpeh ; Obeng Senior, Felix Awuah (2024) — E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

DOI: 10.38159/ehass.202451411

Synopsis

This study aims to assess how widespread cybercrime is in Agona Swedru and to identify the main factors that drive individuals toward such activity. A cross-sectional, quantitative survey was conducted with 397 participants who were selected through simple random sampling. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive frequencies, cross-tabulations, and linear regression to explore the prevalence of cybercrime and its potential determinants, providing both the scope of the issue and the relationships between socioeconomic conditions and cybercrime involvement. The results indicate that a notable portion of the surveyed population reports involvement in cybercrime, with online romance scams and financial fraud identified as the most common forms being practiced. The analysis highlights unemployment, financial constraints, and poverty as primary catalysts, suggesting that these economic pressures push some individuals to pursue cybercriminal activities as a means of achieving financial stability. The study thus links criminal behavior in the digital realm to broader socioeconomic hardship, underscoring a pattern in which economic distress can influence wrongdoing. To address these findings, the researchers recommend policy and programmatic measures aimed at reducing the economic pressures that facilitate cybercrime. Specifically, expanding employment opportunities through vocational training and job creation programs is proposed as a path to alleviate unemployment-related stress. In addition, establishing financial aid initiatives and counseling services is advised to help individuals manage financial pressures more effectively. Implementing these recommendations is expected to contribute to a more stable and supportive environment, thereby reducing the factors that drive cybercrime. By identifying unemployment and poverty as key drivers, the study enhances understanding of the motivations behind cybercrime in Agona Swedru and in similar contexts, offering insights for targeted interventions in comparable settings.

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