Now ‘Music’ wades into the fight against cybercrime

MusicI came across this interesting posting from the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit. They reported on an interesting initiative in Nigeria. A programme has been established to help young Nigerians, involved in cybercrime, to shift their focus by helping their local communities to find online alternatives to Internet fraud, and to educate their peers.

One of the ways the group has engaged with Nigerian youngsters is through music with the release of a song called ‘Maga Need No Pay’ which challenges young Nigerians to avoid creating new cybercrime victim. You can watch the video for the song here.

Nigeria has for a long time been associated with a particular online fraud, the so-called ‘Nigeria’ or ‘419’ scams. These scams are advance fund frauds, wherein, the scammers promise a fortune in exchange for advance payments. I see it as being a welcome development if this initiative can divert young Nigerians from pursuing cybercrime. The intent is to get them to focus on something more positive and altruistic, helping their communities embrace and unlock the ‘net for benevolent purposes. Let’s see if Music can help stem the tide of cybercrime.

February 22, 2010 | Filed Under Security 

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