The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word ROTTWEILER
R
O
T
T
W
E
I
L
E
R
More clues leading to the result ROTTWEILER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "being a vicious and unscrupulous type" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case being a vicious and unscrupulous type = rottweiler.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ROTTWEILER mean?
ROTTWEILER noun- A very large muscular breed of dog of German origin with black fur and tanned markings.