ONLINE DECEPTION: A DISCOURSE STUDY OF EMAIL BUSINESS SCAMS

Chiluwa, Isioma Maureen and Chiluwa, Innocent and Ajiboye, Esther (2017) ONLINE DECEPTION: A DISCOURSE STUDY OF EMAIL BUSINESS SCAMS. In: Deception & Deceptive Communication: Motivations, Recognition Techniques and Behavioral Control. Nova Science, New York, pp. 169-188.

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Abstract

This chapter examines email business scams - types of phishing that solicit business partnership with email account owners with the aim of defrauding them. In this category are emails that seek assistance to transfer some money or claim some abandoned money in dormant bank accounts overseas. Through a qualitative discourse analysis of 50 samples, the study analyses the textual and genre features of these emails, as well as their narrative structures. Analysis also highlights authorial stance of the email writers. This include rhetoric and persuasive strategies that the con writers apply in their business proposals, such as the negotiation of interpersonal relationship, trust, and confidentiality. The study concludes that contrary to some research speculations, email business scams are not likely to end in the near future, because the writers not only demonstrate a commendable competence in communication, they also take the advantage of information technology to the fullest. In addition, they exploit the human greed for free money.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	email, fraud, money, business, discourse
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HM Sociology P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics P Language and Literature > PE English
Divisions:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Humanities
Depositing User:	Miss Esther Ajiboye
Date Deposited:	19 Oct 2018 12:04
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2018 12:04
URI:	http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/12005

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