Exploring how the Dark Triad shapes cybercrime responses

This study explores an often-overlooked psychological dimension of victims' reactions to ransomware attacks, a prevalent form of cybercrime. Specifically, we analyze how the Dark Triad—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—affect victims' decisions to pay the ransom or abandon their data/files, and whether to report the incident to law enforcement. Furthermore, we investigate the interaction between the Dark Triad and the perceived competency of law enforcement agencies, operationalized as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States. Data was gathered from a scenario-based survey involving 376 participants from the United States. Our findings reveal that individuals exhibiting high levels of Dark Triad are more inclined to abandon their data or comply with ransom demands. Additionally, we examined the interaction effects between these personality traits and the perceived competency of the FBI. This insight offers a foundation for developing tailored cybercrime prevention strategies at both the individual and societal levels. • The Dark Triad provides a useful diagnostic for victims' cybercrime behavior. • Higher Dark Triad levels will pay ransoms or abandon data, both unideal decisions. • Perceived FBI competency amplifies unideal Dark Triad ransomware responses.