INTERNET FRAUD AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OVIA NORTH EAST OF EDO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to examine internet fraud and students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Ova North East of Edo state, Nigeria. It also investigated the level of student academic performance in Ovia North East Local Government Areas in Edo State and established the impact of internet fraud on students academic performance in senior secondary Ovia North East Local Government Areas in Edo State. About three research questions were raised and analyzed for the purpose of the study. The research questions were what is the most used types of internet fraud in public senior secondary schools in Ovia North East Local Government Area in Edo State?, what is the level of student academic performance in public senior secondary schools in Ovia North East Local Government Area in Edo State? Does internet fraud have impact on public senior secondary school students’ academic performance in Ovia North East Local Government Area in Edo State? The study adopted the descriptive survey research design, which is a nonexperimental method and a population of government secondary schools in Ovia NorthEast local government, comprising 16 schools with a total of 20,752 students. A total of one hundred and fifty (150) students selected from 16 secondary schools in Ovia NorthEast local government area made up the sample for this study. The questionnaire check list was instrument that was used to collect data for the study. A copy of the drafted questionnaire was guided by the student supervisor and two expert supervisors in the Faculty of Education, University of Benin for scrutiny in line with the face and content validity. A test-retest procedure was to test reliability of instrument. The questionnaire was personally distributed by the researcher to the individual respondent. The finding showed that identity theft, credit card fraud, lottery scams and investment fraud most likely used to defraud. It also find that student who engage in internet fraud pay less attention to academic activities than students who does not There is an urgent need for enlightened of students and parents in Nigeria. This strategy will boost the economy and also reduce cyber-criminality to the barest minimum, Intervening socio-economic measures, such as social benefits for the parents (especially, the unemployed) should be put in place by the government. Agencies, such as the EFCC, put in place to eradicate the menace of fraudulent practices should be made truly independent of various political maneuverings in the country in order to enhance their performance.