Much more attention for victims of online crime

Since the The Hague police unit launched the so-called ‘digital police desk’ in February of last year, victims of online crime have been much more successful in reaching the police. Thanks to alert residents, officers have repeatedly managed to catch offenders in the act. This month, the court still sentenced two fake police officers to prison terms.

Online crime has been a growing problem for years. The impact on victims is often enormous. With the introduction of the so-called ‘digital police desk’, the police are paying more attention to victims of online crime. This includes, for example, bank helpdesk fraud, phishing or identity theft.

Supporting victims

Officers not only take action in cases caught in the act, but also when a digital crime has only recently taken place. This allows suspects to be arrested more quickly or victims to be supported immediately, and, if necessary, computers or phones can be secured. Sometimes it even succeeds in limiting the damage for victims. Read more about the approach of the ‘digital police desk’ in this article.

• CASE: Fake police officer arrested thanks to quick action by victimIn early February of this year, a resident in the Duindorp district of The Hague was called by someone claiming to work for the police fraud helpdesk. This person told her that the police needed her bank card and jewelry. Because she didn’t trust it, her husband immediately called 112, while the woman stayed on the line with the caller. Alerted officers went straight to the home. There they waited for two hours until the fake police officer arrived. He was arrested in the home for fraud. His mobile phone was seized for further investigation.

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One year of digital police desk

Now that this approach has been used within the unit for one year, it appears that at least fifty to seventy victims of online crime contact the police every month. In total, from March 2025 to February 2026, this involved 759 people for whom the police took action. Unfortunately, it is not known how many suspects were caught in the act in these cases.

• CASE: Support for victim of telephone helpdesk fraudIn a senior complex in Leidschendam, officers visited a very elderly resident in mid-February who had fallen victim to telephone helpdesk fraud. It turned out she had been on the phone for hours with someone claiming to be from the police. She was convinced to purchase an alarm system, but, she was told, until the system was installed, it would be better to temporarily hand over her jewelry and bank card. A young man came by to pick them up. Shortly afterwards, 1,000 euros were withdrawn from her account. The victim was deeply shocked by the entire incident. Officers took her statement at home and immediately launched an investigation. This investigation is still ongoing; a suspect has (not yet) been arrested.

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Better service for our residents

Anja de Bruin, deputy police chief of the The Hague unit, is satisfied with the results. ‘We are working hard to equip our unit ever better for developments in online crime. Within the so-called ‘digital transformation’ of the police, we have already taken several major steps together. The arrival of the digital police desk is a fine example of this,’ says Anja.

• CASE: Boy blackmailed after contact via SnapchatA vulnerable 19-year-old boy came into contact via Snapchat in February with someone who quickly managed to convince him to add him on WhatsApp. After some time, this person managed, under false pretenses, to get the boy to hand over 500 euros in cash at a specific location. When his parents discovered this the same afternoon, they immediately called the police. The suspect had by then already asked for another 700 euros. Alerted officers immediately monitored the location where the money was to be handed over. When someone came to collect it, they were able to arrest the man on the spot. His role in this and several other blackmail cases is still under investigation.

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‘This approach works. It is faster, more personal and more professional, and shows that we as police are keeping pace with the reality of the day. Whereas online crime used to often be “something for later”, it has now become a full-fledged part of our daily police work.

• CASE: Couple helps in arresting fake police officers, suspects quickly triedA couple in their seventies was called at the end of February, supposedly by the police. They were told that there had been many burglaries in the area. The ‘police’ wanted to send someone to help the couple protect themselves against this. The couple felt something was off, but went along with the story and meanwhile called the police. Alerted officers waited at the couple’s home and immediately arrested the fake police officers. The two suspects were already sentenced in early March. A 27-year-old man received twelve weeks in prison, six of which were suspended, and a 33-year-old man received three months in prison. They are serving their sentences.

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