Approximately half of all reports to the police relate to digital crime. This was recently stated by Janny Knol, Chief of the National Police, in an interview with De Volkskrant newspaper. The chances of being caught for online fraud or scams are relatively low, and victims often feel a great deal of shame.
"Whereas in the past you had a burglar who went out and visited twelve houses in one evening, now you see someone who can make 100,000 victims with a single keystroke. That really calls for a different approach," says Knol.
Despite the fact that digital crime accounts for around half of all reports to the police, much less than half of Dutch investigative capacity is devoted to it. Knol: “That’s completely out of balance. Especially when you realize that almost all forms of crime have a digital element, if only because smartphones are used for communication.”
Clickherefor the message from the National Police.
Clickherefor the police figures from 2025.
