When confronted with upswings in radicalisation, governments often try to tackle the problem at a very early stage, long before it degenerates into terrorism. One way to achieve this is to set up programs to improve the socio-economic conditions of at-risk groups. Using the examples of the Action Plan Polarisation and Radicalisation in the Netherlands and the UK's Prevent strategy, however, this chapter will show that preventive approaches along these lines are based on two flawed assumptions, namely that there are large numbers of potential terrorists and that socio-economic factors play a crucial role in radicalization processes. In closing, it will be argued that counter-radicalisation interventions should be specifically tailored to individuals who are truly at risk of becoming involved in terrorism.