Vishing and Smishing Perpetrators and Their Victims in Nigerian Slums

This study investigates the personal accounts of both perpetrators and victims to better understand the techniques and strategies used in vishing and smishing schemes. It adopts a qualitative cross-sectional design across three Lagos slums (Ajegunle, Amukoko, and Ijora-Badia), using snowball sampling to recruit 20 victims and 10 perpetrators for in-depth interviews. Findings reveal that perpetrators impersonate trusted entities using low-tech tools (pre-registered SIMs, bulk SMS apps) to exploit trust. Selective morality emerges among offenders, with some repaying known victims due to guilt while exploiting strangers, alongside a mentorship culture where experienced scammers train newcomers. Poverty and peer influence normalize the crimes, with successful fraudsters valorized as resourceful. Victims, hindered by stigma and distrust in authorities, rarely report crimes, while low digital literacy increases vulnerability. These findings highlight the need for multi-level interventions. Thus, the study recommends that government agencies enhance cybercrime enforcement through slum-based task forces, stricter SIM regulations, real-time banking fraud detection, and localized awareness campaigns; communities should mobilize participants for anti-fraud education; and residents must adopt self-protection measures such as verifying messages, using call-blocking apps, and reporting scams via official channels.