Understanding Human and Interface Design Factors in Canadian Cybercrime Reporting

Abstract

Cybercrime affects a majority of Canadians, yet most incidents go unreported. We conducted two studies to examine the factors influencing cybercrime reporting and the role of interface design in victims' reporting experiences. Our survey provides individual-level insights into the persistent gap in cybercrime reporting in Canada, showing how perceived incident severity and personal characteristics shape reporting behaviour. Our usability study compared reporting with an AI chatbot to an online form; chatbots facilitated more complete reports and led to higher user satisfaction, highlighting how interface design impacts reporting outcomes.