1.2 million Dutch cybercrime victims

In 2018, 8.5 percent of Dutch internet users aged 12 and over indicated they had fallen victim to computer-oriented crime in the previous twelve months. This is equivalent to over 1.2 million people, mainly under the age of 25. Crimes against property were most common. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on a recent survey on cybersecurity and cybercrime.

The Cybersecurity & Cybercrime survey is a new pilot study conducted by CBS in collaboration with the Dutch national police force at the end of 2018. In total, 100 thousand people were approached for this research, of whom more than 38 thousand participated.

At 12 percent, young internet users between the ages of 12 and 25 were most likely to fall victim to cybercrime. Among the over-65s, this share was less than 4 percent.

Property crimes – crimes relating to money or property theft – affected 4.6 percent of the internet users. Hacking affected 1.8 percent. Another 1.4 percent of internet users were victims of interpersonal incidents with no sexual connection while 0.7 percent fell victim to such incidents with a sexual connection. These included incidents of a personal nature, such as defamation, bullying, stalking or threats. One percent fell victim to identity theft without incurring financial loss.

Within the category of property crimes, online shopping fraud was most prevalent among cybercrime victims: 2.7 percent. Victims paid for services or goods that were never delivered. In 0.5 percent of the cases, money was taken from the victim’s bank account or victims ended up paying a fake invoice. Cybercrime cases further included 0.5 percent incidents of Wangiri fraud – a type of phone fraud.