Join us for the launch of Cybercriminals (Yahoo Boys) and Society and a discussion of fraud, cybercrime and social context.

Cybercriminals (Yahoo Boys) and Society: Book Launch with Dr Suleman Lazarus

25 November 2026 | 4:00pm-5:30pm | University of Portsmouth, Room 1.23, Park Building, King Henry I Street, Portsmouth PO1 2BZ and online

The Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime, in collaboration with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) Seminar Series, is delighted to host the launch of Cybercriminals (Yahoo Boys) and Society (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003582526/cybercriminals-yahoo-boys-society-suleman-lazarus), the new book by Dr Suleman Lazarus, Visiting Lecturer at the Centre and one of the leading international scholars examining cybercrime and digital fraud in West Africa.

Based on more than a decade of research, the book moves beyond familiar stereotypes of "Yahoo Boys" to explore the wider social, cultural and economic environments in which online fraud emerges, operates and is contested. Drawing on ethnographic research, interviews, court records and digital investigations, Dr Lazarus examines how cybercrime becomes embedded within communities, relationships, moral narratives and systems of opportunity.

The book explores a wide range of themes, including fraud and social mobility, organised criminal networks, spiritual and cultural influences, gendered dimensions of offending, and the broader global connections linking cybercrime, inequality and justice.

Event Format

The event will include:

An introduction from session Chair Professor Mark Button

A presentation by Dr Suleman Lazarus introducing the book and its key findings

An audience Q&A session

This event will be of interest to researchers, students, practitioners, policymakers and anyone interested in cybercrime, fraud, criminology and digital society.

About the Speaker

Dr Suleman Lazarus is a criminologist and cybercrime researcher specialising in digital fraud, organised crime, human trafficking and the social contexts of offending. He completed his PhD in Cybercrime and Criminology at the University of Portsmouth and developed the Tripartite Cybercrime Framework, which categorises cybercrime according to socioeconomic, psychosocial and geopolitical motivations.

He is the author of Cybercriminals (Yahoo Boys) and Society: Hustle Kingdoms, Occult Economies, and the Colonial Politics of Digital Fraud (Routledge, 2026), a Consultant with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and an Associate Editor of ACM's Digital Threats: Research and Practice. His research spans West Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States, examining cybercrime, scam economies, coercion, money laundering and transnational criminal networks. His co-authored paper, "Fraud as a legitimate retribution for colonial injustice" recently received the International Society of Economic Criminology's (ISEC) Best Paper by an Academic award.

Description supplied by the event organiser.