Assessing the Various Opportunities Explored by Cybercriminals in Accra

Abstract

This study was embarked upon to examine the strategies internet fraudsters explore to dupe their potential victims. The research was carried out in the Accra metropolis. The researchers gathered detailed information about the cybercrime offenders from the CID headquarters and used the report to contact some of the participants. A total of eleven (11) internet scammers took part in the study. Structured interview guide was employed as data collection instrument. In the data analysis, each of the in-depth interviews was transcribed as soon as the information is gathered and developed them into codes. The investigation revealed that cybercriminals in Ghana engaged in different forms of internet crimes such as gold market, romance, online shopping, collaboration with security agencies, and criminal networking opportunities to co-opt their partners. It was concluded from the discussion that socioeconomic conditions create the right environment for cybercrime activities to thrive in Ghana because all their strategies are gearing towards amassing wealth.

Keywords: opportunities, explored, cybercriminals.