Digital robbers are on the rise: online crime rivals ‘ordinary’ crime | Inland

Nearly 2.5 million people (17 percent of the Dutch population) aged 15 years and older were victims of internet fraud such as purchase fraud, hacking, phishing and cyberbullying in 2021. Two years ago it was 13 percent. “Last year there were as many victims of an online offense as of a traditional offense,” says Maarten Bloem of Statistics Netherlands (CBS). 173,000 people completed a survey for the study.

Since 2017, there has been an upward trend in cybercrime. “In most cases, it concerns purchase fraud, i.e. products or services purchased online were not delivered, even though they had been paid for,” says Bloem. As with traditional crime, the perception is that young people are more often victims of cybercrime than older people.

Victim

Between 2012 and 2021, the number of over-15s who became victims of traditional crime fell by 43 percent. In particular, theft and burglaries have fallen the most, as have muggings, robberies, burglaries and pickpocketing. The number of violent crimes, such as threats, assault and sexual offences, decreased the least.

Most crimes were registered in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In Amsterdam, for example, 43,000 cases of theft and burglary, violence or vandalism were registered last year. That is 49 per thousand Amsterdammers. The proportion of crimes on Rotterdam territory was 45 per thousand inhabitants. In total, more than 29,000 crimes were registered there. The average in the Netherlands is 25 registered crimes per thousand inhabitants. The municipalities of Tubbergen, Dalfsen and Dinkelland had the smallest number with five per thousand inhabitants.

The Dutch feel increasingly safer, according to the Safety Monitor. Where in 2012, 37 percent indicated that they generally sometimes feel unsafe, in 2021 that number was 33 percent. Young people are more likely to feel unsafe than older people. Fourteen percent of the Dutch sometimes feel unsafe in their own neighbourhood. Nevertheless, the Dutch value the safety in their neighborhood with an average score of 7.5. It is remarkable that eight percent no longer open the door in the evening because they do not consider it safe.

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