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Title Linguistic Cues in Cybercrime: Profiling Criminal Behavior through Language Analysis

Author(s) Asma Malik

Abstract In recent years, the digital landscape in Pakistan has evolved dramatically, driven by rapid technological advancements and increased internet accessibility. This transformation has brought about numerous opportunities for communication, commerce and information sharing. As individuals increasingly rely on digital platforms for personal and professional interactions, the vulnerabilities associated with these platforms have become more pronounced. It has also led to a surge in cybercrime. This rise of cybercrime has necessitated innovative approaches for understanding and preventing criminal behavior. The present research attempts to formulate an integrated model for criminal profiling for holistic understanding of cybercrime. “Routine Activity theory (RAT)” of criminology has been merged with the “Politeness and impoliteness theories (PIT)” of linguistics. By integrating RAT with PIT, the framework allows for a comprehensive analysis of both the environmental and social dynamics of cybercrime. It considers not only the motivations and behaviors of the offenders but also the linguistic strategies cybercriminal employed in conducting a successful cybercrime. Only cybercrime cases related to “Phishing” and “Cyber harassment” has been selected for this research study. Separate sections of data had been made for the analysis of cybercriminal’s sentiments and language. Data collected mainly from the platforms like Twitter, Email, and WhatsApp has been used for analyzing the sentiments of cybercriminals using a pre-trained Roberta model and training it on both Phishing and Cyber harassment datasets separately. On the other hand, Case studies mainly collected from “High court cybercrime judgements” has been used for linguistic analysis. This combined analysis allowed for more nuanced profiling of cybercriminals, as it captures not only what is being said but also how it is said. This can provide a clearer picture of the motivations and psychological states of individuals involved in cybercrime. The results of the study had been validated through expert feedback via an open-ended questionnaire.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2025-08-08

Subject English Linguistics

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