by Nikki Estrella, Senior Manager | Impact Blog
When someone’s personal information is stolen or a scam succeeds, the damage isn’t always measured in dollars. The experience can change how safe a person feels answering a call, shaking their confidence and leaving them facing stress, fear and anxiety long after the fraudulent charge is gone.
World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10, is a reminder that well-being is shaped by every part of our lives, including our digital ones. If we want to understand the true impact of identity crime and online scams, we have to look beyond the balance sheet.
The emotional toll
A breached database, stolen phone or successful scam can have swift financial consequences, such as depleted savings or damaged credit.
But the impact isn’t only financial. Research from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) shows that the vast majority of identity theft victims report frustration, anxiety, worry and anger. Scam victims in particular experience feelings of guilt and shame, blaming themselves for a crime deliberately designed to manipulate them.
Then comes recovery.
Resolving identity crime can mean contacting multiple institutions, monitoring accounts, and proving that fraudulent activity wasn’t yours.
The experience can affect well-being, daily life and your sense of control. As the real-world consequences of identity theft and scams have intensified in recent years, so, too, have the emotional ones.
Listening to the whole experience
Understanding identity crime means listening to people who have experienced it.
What made them feel overwhelmed? Where did they struggle to get help? What made the recovery process clearer or less isolating?
The answers matter deeply. ITRC’s research shows that emotional support can improve a victim’s experience even if a crime is not fully resolved.
Listening to people who have been through that experience can also help organizations understand where better tools, information and support could make a real difference.
The tools to regain confidence
Understanding that broader impact changes how we think about protection.
At Gen, we work to help people live their digital lives safely and confidently. That means helping people understand emerging risks, protecting what matters and helping them recover when something does go wrong.
Through LifeLock, people have access to identity theft protection and restoration support to help them navigate the steps that follow identity theft and regain a sense of control. And Gen’s Fearless Planet Index gives anyone a free, interactive view of the scams and threats shaping digital life around the world, giving people information they can use to better understand what is happening around them.
We can’t eliminate the emotional impact of digital crime. But we can help make protection and recovery less overwhelming by giving people useful information, practical tools and support when they need it. Helping people feel more informed and in control is an important part of helping them move forward with confidence.
Read more about emerging cyber threats and trends in the latest Gen Threat Report.