How many people fall victim to cybercrime?

In 2021, 16.9 percent of the population fell victim to cybercrime. This is approximately the same number as traditional crime, such as burglary, theft, violence and vandalism.

Almost 10 percent of the population aged 15 or over were victims of online scams and fraud in 2021. Most cases concerned purchase fraud, i.e. goods or services purchased online that were not delivered. Other, less common, offences included sales fraud (products sold but not being paid for), payment fraud, identity fraud and phishing. The latter involves receiving a phone call, email or app from a (potential) fraudster. Among those who received such messages, 0.8 percent, which is over 100 thousand people, fell for it and lost money.

In 2021, 7 percent fell victim to hacking. Two percent had been confronted with online threats and harassment. This involves threatening, bullying, stalking and shame sexting.

Show datatableVictims of cybercrime, 2021 (%)Hide datatableVictims of cybercrime, 2021 (%)

Victims of cybercrime, 2021 (%)

Soort	Victims
Total	16.9
Scams and fraud	9.7
Purchase fraud	6.9
Sales fraud	1.4
Payment fraud	1.3
Identity fraud	0.8
Phishing	0.8
Hacking	6.9
Hacking of account	5.7
Hacking of device	2.9
Threats and intimidation	2.3
Threats	0.9
Bullying	0.8
Stalking	0.8
Shame sexting	0.4
Other cybercrime	0.6

Victims of phishing most likely to report it

Of all cybercrime victims, 47 percent have reported what happened to them to someone or some authority; 19 percent of them have reported it to the police. Fraud in payment transactions was reported by over three quarters of the victims to a bank, the police, the Fraud Help Desk or another authority. One quarter of the victims of fraud reported it to the police. Victims of phishing were most likely to report the crime, at 55 percent. Hacking was reported least often.

Cyberbullying, stalking and shame sexting may also include reporting it to family, friends, people at school or at work. The only information known in the case of online threats is whether they have been reported to the police.

Show datatableReported cybercrime, 2021 (% of all victims)Hide datatableReported cybercrime, 2021 (% of all victims)

Reported cybercrime, 2021 (% of all victims)

Soort delict	Shared as information	Reported to the police
Cybercrime total	46.5	18.7
	.	.
Payment fraud	76.6	24.9
Phishing	70.8	55.1
Stalking	68.4	22.6
Bullying	66.4	14
Identity fraud	56.4	32.1
Shame sexting	54.2	17
Sales fraud	46.6	24.8
Purchase fraud	40.6	20
Hacking	37.6	11.5
Threats	25.6	18.5
Other online offences	45.6	23.1

Over 1 in 7 victims suffer from mental health problems

Among victims of cybercrime, 15 percent suffered or had suffered from emotional or psychological problems. The level of impact of cybercrime depends on the type of crime or incident. Victims of online threats and harassment experience problems more often than victims of online scams and fraud and victims of hacking. For instance, more than half of victims of bullying experienced emotional or psychological problems, while in the case of hacking or purchase fraud, around 10 percent reported such problems.

Safety Monitor

The figures are taken from the Netherlands' Safety Monitor, a collaboration between CBS and the Ministry of Justice and Security. The Safety Monitor is a large-scale national survey covering topics since 2012 on the quality of people’s living environment, safety perceptions, crime victimisation, the citizen’s level of satisfaction with the police and prevention.

The questions

1. How does CBS collect data?
2. How much do we cycle per week on average?
3. Who are most likely to work part-time?
4. How many people visited Bonaire by cruise ship?
5. Are people happy with the house they live in?
6. How many young women encounter street harassment?
7. What do the over-65s do online?
8. How many wind turbines in the Netherlands?
9. How far is school by bike?
10. How many museums are there?
11. How much electricity in the Caribbean Netherlands is renewable?
12. How many adults are overweight?
13. How many cargo ships dock at Dutch seaports?
14. What did we listen to on the radio in 1953?
15. What is the average lifespan in the Netherlands?
16. Where did we go for a holiday in 1947?
17. How much fish is landed?
18. Where were people in the Netherlands born?
19. What do we spend money on?
20. How old are Dutch first-time mothers on average?
21. How much cheese do we produce?
22. How are goods transported through the Netherlands?
23. How many people fall victim to cybercrime?
24. What is the most spoken language or dialect at home?
25. How many shops are there?
26. What is the value of Dutch beer exports?
27. How often do we have a goosebump moment?
28. How many cows graze in fields?
29. What are the most popular majors?
30. How tall are Dutch people?
31. How is the urban bird population doing?
32. Where do most people work?
33. What colour is our car?
34. How does CBS handle your privacy?