How Greed Influences Our Youths Into Cyber Crime

BY MAJAAGUN OYINKANSOLA

One of the most trending crimes for our youths today is cybercrime, which for them has become the easiest route of getting “cool cash” and to live a flashy, luxurious life style after defrauding the victim hard earned money.

Experience, backed by some level of research have shown that the reasons for this rampant behavior in our society include greed, peer pressure, social intimidation, lack of contentment and poverty.

In an interview, Adetunji Oluwadamilare an electronic engineer who graduated from the Ladoke Akintola University, where the practice is believed to be rampant, told our reporter that a major reason youths engage in the crime is because they want quick riches, power and respect.

According to him, the fraudsters do not want to be seen as poor or average students, but desire to be seen as well-to-do, and that having been influenced by celebrities’ Fantasy they want to live up to that standard.

Oluwadamilare advised parents to be in good terms with their wards so that they would know when they are going astray.

Speaking on the same issue, Mrs Oyindamola Alade, a trader and mother of two youths, blamed the problem on the fact that most children have bad parental care, in the senses that are not corrected when they do something wrong.

She cited a rather shocking encounter with a customer who was suggesting to her to buy a laptop for her son, just like she (the customer) had done.

She explained that such behaviours amongst parents have worked to negatively encourage bad behavior on youths.

A parent and political activists, Otunba T.J Abass, agreed that the youths of today are more technologically advanced, but bemoaned however that they were wrongly applying the knowledge.

He disagreed that unemployment is the sole reason youths are going into cybercrime, but rather greed and laziness.

Otunba Abass, said the strife for wealth and power amongst today’s youths have made them lose value and regards for family name as used to be the case.

He also reminded of youths of the danger of that could result from taking to cyber crime, including financial loss and the loss of personal reputation, advising them to shun crime.

Victory Bernard, a youth pastor and a mentor, approaching the issue from biblical perspective described the love of money as the root of all evils.  He said the devil, as a way of poisoning the youth life, has influenced them into loving money more than other good things.

According to him, “correcting with words of mouth won’t solve the problem but prayers from the heart”.

It is believed that while the government has role to play in ensuring that there is employment opportunities for the upcoming generation, the youth themselves need to be innovative and think positively of how to empower themselves.

They should avoid seeking money in fraudulent ways.