Cybercrimes and Virtual Worlds: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

With the evolutions of the gaming industry and the increasing number of virtual worlds (e.g., Metaverse), these applications can be an excellent vector to commit cybercrimes. Since this argument is rarely discussed academically, this literature review aims to bring more attention to the topic by assessing the current state of the art and proposing a starting point for future research. The keyword selection process required an in-depth analysis of the terms because "Virtual Worlds" can differ by name, type, and quality, making it more difficult to analyze them. Therefore, specific inclusion/exclusion criteria and a grey literature review were also applied to improve the accuracy and the quality of the results. Findings illustrate that the argument is underestimated, and the lack of knowledge in this academic field created a gap that should be addressed over the years. Therefore, this literature review could be the starting point for future research