Cybercrime has
become a global menace to socio-economic stability, undermining trust in
digital systems, disrupting business operations, and causing significant
financial losses, and Nigeria is no exception. In recent years, Calabar
Municipal Council, Cross River State, has experienced a marked increase in
cyber-related offences between 2018 and 2024, including online fraud, ATM
skimming, phishing, and social media impersonation. These incidents have eroded
public trust, inflicted financial losses, and exposed systemic weaknesses in
confidentiality, integrity, and availability of digital systems. The challenge
is compounded by limited digital literacy, weak law enforcement capacity, and
the normalisation of youth involvement in cybercrime subcultures such as “Yahoo
Yahoo.” The study pursues clear objectives: to evaluate cybersecurity awareness
and digital literacy, identify dominant cybercrime typologies, analyse
socio-economic and cultural drivers of youth participation, and assess the
effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in Calabar. Methodologically, it
adopts an investigative design that integrates surveys, interviews, case
studies, and secondary data analysis, guided by frameworks including the CIA
Triad, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and ISO 27001. Findings reveal a rise
in fraud, phishing, ATM skimming, and impersonation, with consequences
including financial losses, reputational damage, operational disruption, and
weakened investor confidence. Youth involvement, driven by unemployment and
socio-economic strain, intensifies the problem, while fragmented governance
structures hinder effective responses. The significance of this study lies in
bridging the gap between national cybersecurity strategies and municipal
realities, providing empirical evidence that situates cybercrime within local
socio-economic contexts. Policy and practice implications include strengthening
law enforcement capacity, enhancing digital literacy, aligning municipal
governance with international standards, and designing youth-focused
interventions to redirect digital skills towards constructive innovation.
Keywords: Cybersecurity awareness and Digital literacy, Typologies of cybercrime, Socio-economic and Cultural drivers, law enforcement and cybercrime Consequences.
