Financial Cybercrimes During COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced and altered the daily routine of the masses around the globe. The pandemic has far-reaching economic, political, social, and cultural implications on the African continent. Although Africa witnessed low levels of infections and deaths as compared to other continents, African socio-economic life was affected tremendously. This scenario facilitated the increased social media usage for source information, communication, and socializing in Africa. The study examined how COVID-19 caused increased social media use in Africa and the corresponding cybersecurity threats. Documented sources were used for data sourcing while empirical data analysis was used to discuss the ideas. The study revealed that COVID-19 significantly increased the number of social media users in Africa and has a correlation with cybersecurity threats and cybercrimes. The study observed that there is a need to secure African cyberspace due to the significant increase in social media activities.