Fear of Economic Cybercrime Across Europe: A Multilevel Application of Routine Activity Theory

Abstract

Despite the increasing prevalence of cybercrime and its study by criminologists, very little research has examined the extent, nature, and impact of fear of cybercrime. In this study, we conducted a multilevel analysis of the 2018 Eurobarometer Cybersecurity Survey to test the applicability of routine activities theory on fear of economic cybercrime. We contribute to the literature by demonstrating that: (1) fear of economic cybercrime varies across EU member states; (2) country-level infrastructure development and income inequality are predictive of individual-level fear; (3) individual-level routine activities and sociodemographic variables are associated with fear; (4) country-level infrastructure development moderates the effects of individual-level guardianship. This paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of including country-level and individual-level determinants in fear of cybercrime research.