SOCIO-COGNITIVE DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF SELECTED NIGERIAN COMPUTER-MEDIATED FRAUDULENT TEXT MESSAGES

Abstract Fraudulent text messages, a prevalent form of cyber deception, represent a critical concern in the context of digital communication. This study examined the discursive strategies employed in fraudulent text messages, with the aim to unearth how these messages are constructed to manipulate recipients’ perceptions and influence their actions. van Dijk’s (1993, 2006) socio-cognitive model of Critical Discourse Analysis served as the theoretical framework for this study. The data, comprising 73 fraudulent text messages received between 2022 and 2024, were collected using convenience sampling from the researchers’ personal inboxes as well as those of colleagues and students. The findings revealed that these messages employ a combination of linguistic and cognitive strategies to exploit recipients’ vulnerabilities, ultimately facilitating fraudulent outcomes. These strategies include appeals to authority and the use of evidentiality to create legitimacy; lexicalization, positive self-presentation, and the use of phone numbers as persuasive tools; and the deployment of presupposition, implication, and vagueness to achieve manipulation. The study concluded that Nigerian fraudulent text messages align language with psychological manipulation by capitalising on recipients’ trust in authoritative institutions, fear of financial loss, and tendency to respond impulsively under perceived urgency.