What matters for financial inclusions? Evidence from emerging economy

The major objective of this research is to examine the influence of cybercrimes on financial inclusion in a developing country. Furthermore, the study also tends to examine the role of cybersecurity in controlling the impact of cybercrimes on financial inclusion. Data were collected from the banking sector of Pakistan using a close-ended questionnaire. Partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was employed to analyse the data. The findings of the study confirm that strong cybersecurity reduces the consequences of cyber threats to financial inclusion. This study suggests that numerous external and internal factors lead to criminals for illegal activities in the banking sector. Therefore, it is obligatory for the banks to enhance their cybersecurity control, to minimize the occurrences of cyber-attacks. The present study focuses on the banking sector, so its finding cannot be generalized in other sectors. Further in-depth comparative studies in other sectors with different cultural settings will help to authenticate the research findings.