'Young people think that anyone can become a victim online, but not themselves'

More than two-thirds of Dutch young people think that anyone can become a victim of online crime, such as phishing or hacking. Yet only about 15 percent say that the chance that they themselves will become a victim is very high.

In the DVJ Insights survey commissioned by the central government among two groups of more than four hundred young people, around 68 percent say they agree with the statement that anyone can become a victim of online crime. About 30 percent think that there is a high chance that someone around them will become a victim, while about 15 percent think that they themselves have a high chance of becoming a victim.

These figures have not changed last fall, although the central government ran a campaign under the name: 'Don't let yourself be kidnapped'. The campaign was intended to make young people aware that anyone can become a victim and that measures such as not clicking on links, trying to recognize scammers and waiting a while before answering if you find something suspicious can help. After the campaign, approximately as many young people said they would do so as before the campaign, which means that the goal of the campaign was not achieved. The campaign included posters in public spaces, statements on social media and videos by various influencers.