The psychological profile of a cyberstalker who makes faulty assumptions is complex and multifaceted, involving a range of psychological factors and motivations.

Cyberstalking is a criminal offense under American anti-stalking, slander, and harassment laws. A conviction can result in a restraining order, probation, or criminal penalties against the assailant, including jail. 

A statistic brought forth by STATS LLC declares that 47% of individuals are stalked by individuals within their own circle of recognition. Typically, cyberstalkers are not faceless strangers but familiar figures. Women engage in more cyberstalking than men.

Research by March, et al. found that cyberstalking is associated with the Dark Triad personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism

Stalking or cyberstalking another person is a serious crime that is aggressively prosecuted in states such as North Carolina to prevent the actions from turning into more dangerous behaviors and to protect the victims. Depending on the circumstances of the crime, a person can also be arrested for other offenses, such as trespassing or breaking and entering.

Some the key aspects of a cyberstalker include:

  1. Lack of Empathy: A significant factor in cyberstalking behavior is often a lack of empathy towards the victim. This lack of understanding and compassion can make it easier for the stalker to make baseless assumptions without considering the impact of their actions.
  2. Obsession and Fixation: Cyberstalkers may develop an unhealthy obsession with their targets, leading them to scrutinize and interpret every detail of the victim’s online presence. This fixation can cause them to jump to conclusions and make unfounded assumptions about the victim’s behavior, intentions, or feelings.
  3. Personality Disorders: In some cases, cyberstalkers may have underlying personality disorders that contribute to their behavior. For example, traits associated with narcissistic, antisocial, or borderline personality disorders can lead to manipulative, aggressive, or erratic behavior, including making unfounded assumptions about others.
  4. Power and Control: Cyberstalkers often seek to exert power and control over their victims. Making assumptions allows them to create narratives that justify their behavior, enabling them to maintain a sense of superiority and dominance.
  5. Projection: Assumptions made by cyberstalkers may reflect their own insecurities and psychological issues. They might project their fears, desires, or negative traits onto their victims, which can distort their perception and lead to misguided conclusions.
  6. Paranoia and Suspicion: Some cyberstalkers might be driven by paranoia or a suspicious mindset, leading them to interpret innocent actions as malicious or threatening. This can result in a cycle of increasing surveillance and assumption-making.
  7. Cognitive Biases: Cyberstalkers, like others, can be influenced by cognitive biases that distort thinking. For example, confirmation bias might lead them to focus on information that supports their preconceived notions while ignoring evidence to the contrary.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, is the Nation’s central hub for reporting cyber crime. It is run by the FBI, the lead federal agency for investigating cyber crime.

Cyberstalking is punishable by up to five years in prison.