Individual residence and identity theft: how residential characteristics shape exposure and risk of offline and online identity theft victimization

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of micro-level place on identity theft victimization. This study uses the 2016 Identity Theft Supplement (ITS) to investigate whether aspects of an individual’s residence affect their likelihood of becoming identity theft victims. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct logistic regressions of whether a respondent was an identity theft victim in the past year using the following variables as key predictors: number of housing units in a residence, whether the respondent operates a business out of their residence and if residence access is restricted. Findings The results suggest that location influences the likelihood of identity theft to a modest degree though some aspects of location (possibly those related to rewards perceptions) may be more relevant than others. Meanwhile, though location may influence initial target selection, whether someone is victimized may be more dependent on factors such as personal behavior. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this manuscript represents one of the first investigations into the relationship between microlevel place and the incidence of identity theft. Furthermore, it provides evidence that one does exist which bears further inquiry.