Overconfidence, overliteracy. Online IDentity Theft stigma on the expert users

Abstract

Progress and digital transformation of the society have provided criminals with new opportunities to obtain and misuse personal identity information. The emer-gence and spread of online identity theft (OIDT) is an example of this. Very little is known about the profile, needs and experiences of people whose identity informa-tion has been compromised or misused. OIDT European victims often do not re-port the crime. But the negative experience hides important resistance in psycho-social perception. With the aim of analysing the impact of OIDT in different Euro-pean countries, but also to profile victims, this article will show how: (1) OIDT af-fects also expert users; (2) the OIDT-related stigma creates a "constructed" fragili-ty in these victims; (3) the higher the degree of confidence and digital literacy, the bigger the perception of stigma and the fear experiencing a secondary victimisa-tion.