Abstract
This study investigated the prevalence of cyber crime in the
south eastern part of Nigeria, the reasons for the crime and
preventive measures. The study adopted an Ex-Post Facto
design and used 300 respondents from cyber cafes in the
higher institutions in the South Eastern Zone of Nigeria. The
instrument for data collection was a four- point scale
questionnaire. The findings reveal that all 12 types of cyber
crime listed exist in the South eastern states of Nigeria namely,
Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu states. The reasons
for engaging in cyber crime include poverty, unemployment
and frustration, among others. The preventive measures are
basically informational and can be given by counselors
through group activities like seminars, workshops and
enlightenment campaigns to support the efforts of the
government.