Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin turned up at a campsite near The Hague on Monday to launch a new campaign to promote awareness of personal security issues on the internet.

Research shows that the Dutch spend up to two hours a day on the worldwide web, and that many take their laptops along to the campsite with them during the summer holidays.

The campaign is aimed at making the Dutch aware of the risks of cybercrime and to encourage them to be more careful about making their personal details available online. Many Dutch internet users have personal accounts on social networking sites such as Hyves and Facebook. Mr Hirsch Ballin says that not everyone is sufficiently aware that personal details on the web can be misused by criminals.

The initiative is supported by the police, telecom companies and online auction and shopping websites. Many internet users have experienced 'minor' forms of cybercrime, such as ordering goods that are never delivered. But cybercrime can sometimes be more serious, with people receiving bills for things they never ordered, unauthorised use of bank acccounts or credit cards, or the refusal of a credit card or loan because of a debt people didn't know they had.

The Dutch site Marktplaats.nl - where people sell and buy goods - said on Monday that it receives 10-15 reports of fraud every day. A survey of 603 people in the Frisian capital, Leeuwarden, revealed that 39 percent had experienced attempted fraud on the internet.

The Dutch justice ministry advises internet users to follow five tips to reduce the chances of fraud:

1. Make sure your internet firewall is switched on.
2. Be careful where you leave your personal details.
3. Always note and verify the web address of anyone to whom you're paying money.
4. Don't open too many files at the same time.
5. Be alert to contacts who offer goods or ask for your details.

All this may seem like basic common sense to the experienced web user, but the advice is nevertheless useful for the less experienced user, says internet provider XS4ALL:

"These tips may be obvious, but a lot of people still download infected free software or respond to financial scams by email from countries such as Nigeria." According to XS4ALL, the boffins may laugh at the advice, but things shouldn't be made too difficult for the average internet user to understand. Being too technical can put off a lot of non-technical users.