Dutch police and prosecutors warned on Thursday about an emerging generation of young cybercriminals operating through loosely connected online networks in Western countries, local media reported.
The suspects are generally aged between 11 and 25 and are primarily motivated by money and status rather than political or ideological objectives, public broadcaster NOS reported, citing the Netherlands' annual Cybercrime Overview.
"These are individuals between the ages of 11 and 25," said Stan Duijf, the police official responsible for tackling cybercrime.
"They mainly come from Western countries, speak English, work in a sort of online network, and primarily commit data and crypto thefts," he added.
Duijf said law enforcement agencies had previously focused largely on cybercriminals based in countries such as Russia, where Western authorities have limited access.
"Now we see that there are genuinely Western criminals on the way who are collaborating online and committing serious forms of cybercrime," he said.
The report cited an attack earlier this year against Dutch telecommunications provider Odido, allegedly carried out by criminals operating under the name ShinyHunters.
The hackers demanded a ransom after stealing personal information belonging to six million customers. After Odido refused to pay, the data was offered for sale online.
Authorities warned that young people could be drawn into cybercrime through online games such as Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft, initially engaging in minor misconduct before progressing to more serious offenses.
An estimated 2.5 million people in the Netherlands fell victim to cybercrime in 2025.
Police also warned that artificial intelligence was making cyberattacks easier to conduct while making scams, including phishing emails, increasingly difficult for the public to recognise.
