15 percent of the Dutch report having been the victim of a cybercriminal by 2022. That amounts to 2.2 million people. Most experienced online scams and fraud, followed by hacking, threats and harassment. That's according to research by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) among 32,000 Dutch people aged 15 or older.
About one in 20 respondents (5.6 percent) said they had been the victim of purchase fraud in the past year. In this type of fraud, consumers pay for a product but then never receive it. Sales fraud, in which a seller delivers an order but does not receive money for it, occurred in only 1.3 percent of cases. The figures show that fewer and fewer people are being fooled by phishing. Also, fewer people have fallen victim to identity fraud, including WhatsApp fraud.
Demographic data show that online scams and fraud occur among all age groups. If we look at hacking or online threats and harassment, it is mainly 15- to 25-year-olds who have faced them. These include cyberbullying, cyberstalking and sextortion. 4.7 percent of respondents said their online account or device was hacked last year.
Over a third of victims (37 percent) say in CBS' survey that they have less confidence in their fellow man after becoming a victim of cybercrime. Three in 10 Dutch people say they feel less safe after the scam. About one in 12 of those surveyed said they suffered from sleeping problems, depressive symptoms and feelings of anxiety afterward.
Half of cybercrime victims say they report to family, friends or professional helpers. Only one in five (19 percent) actually report it to the police. This is so low because most victims think the police can't do anything for them, or they suspect the police don't think online scams are important.
CBS research shows that there were fewer cybercrime victims in 2022 than the previous year. According to the Security Monitor 2021, more than 2.5 million Dutch people were victims of a cybercriminal in 2021. This year, the counter remains stuck at 2.2 million people.
The Openbaar Ministerie s Office concluded in its 2022 annual report that the number of cybercrime registrations has stabilized. In 2020 and 2021, more Dutch people reported cybercrime. Last year, the number of suspects of horizontal fraud dropped, police had fewer dealings with money mules and the number of identity fraud cases decreased by a quarter.
Yet it is not all good news. If last year's figures are compared with those of the previous five years, there has been a sharp increase in cybercrime. Because society is digitizing more and more and at a faster pace, the Openbaar Ministerie s Office fears that the number of victims will continue to increase in the coming years. Therefore, it wants to invest heavily in tackling cyber criminals.
