About 2.2 million people were affected by cybercrime last year

NOSE Helen Kret

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 02:00

About 2.2 million Dutch people fell victim to internet crime last year. Statistics Netherlands estimates this based on research among 32,000 people aged 15 and older. 15 percent say they have been a victim of cybercrime in the past year.

A year earlier, in 2021, Statistics Netherlands counted nearly 2.5 million people affected by online crime.

Most victims in 2022, about 8 percent, have been scammed via the internet. For example, they had ordered something and paid for it at an online store, but then received nothing. 5 percent say they were hacked, 4 percent experienced online threats or intimidation.

According to Statistics Netherlands, the latter category mainly concerns young people. One in five of 15 to 25-year-olds say they have experienced threats, bullying, stalking or some form of sexting via the internet.

Half of the people who say they have become a victim of cybercrime subsequently reported it somewhere, for example to social workers, family or friends. Two out of ten reported the incident to the police.

Well safe feeling

Despite everything, half of the Dutch feel safe or very safe when they use the internet. According to Statistics Netherlands, 4 percent say they feel unsafe or very unsafe online. The situation is different for people who have become victims of cybercrime: 30 percent of them feel less safe. 7 to 8 percent of them say they suffer from sleeping problems, depressive complaints or anxiety complaints.

The survey also shows that people are concerned about misuse of personal data. A quarter is concerned about that.

Source