Influence of Psycho-social Factors on Youths’ Attitude towards Internet Fraud in Nigeria

The study examined the influence of psycho-social factors on youths’ attitude towards Internet fraud in Nigeria. Opinions of two hundred undergraduate students of Department of Computer Science, Benue State University, Makurdi were randomly sampled for this study. A battery of test such as Big-Five Personality Inventory, Need Achievement Questionnaire, and Attitude towards Internet Fraud Questionnaire were administered to the students. It was found out that sex, age, need for achievement, psychoticism, neuroticism and extraversion were significantly, independently and jointly predicted youths’ attitude towards Internet fraud {F (6, 199) = 55.52, p < .01, Adjusted R2 = .622}. It was also found out that sex (β =0.134, t = 2.317, p < .05) and need for achievement (β =0.702, t =12.183, p < .05) had significant, independent prediction on youths’ attitude towards Internet fraud in Benue State, Nigeria. It was thus recommended that Africans should re-examine their value system; the child needs to be oriented towards his culture right from birth. The adopted curriculum of Western Education should be modified or adapted. More beneficial aspect of African culture should be introduced in the formal school system. Our yardstick for measuring affluence has to be changed to discourage our youths from exchange of money or gift for sex or prostitution. The implications of the study were discussed.