Future Cybercrimes in the Metaverse

Abstract

In an emerging era of virtual reality, cybercrimes become a significant challenge. The metaverse is a digital realm where people can socialize, work, play, invest, learn, entertain, and much more. The nature of the metaverse raises the concerns of cybercrimes. In this chapter, a deep understanding of potential threats is discussed. Several threats will be highlighted, such as virtual identity theft and impersonation, virtual real estate frauds, malware and ransomware, virtual espionage, advanced phishing, and social engineering. To forecast these threats, insights from cybercrimes are adapted and extrapolated to fit the unique environment of the metaverse. This will guide law enforcement, technical people, policymakers, regulators, and researchers.