Maybe they're not going after "skill", they're going after people dumb enough to register.[0] They can pick up script kids that look good for the cameras and will undoubtedly brag about all their "hacking" exploits making them easier to convict.
[0]: 419 scammers use the same tactic to weed out people who likely won't fall for a 419 scam.
I think they have a bigger fish to fry given all the higher profile attacks that have been showering the place for quite sometime. Maybe you're right and they are just after many low-profile kids instead of that one big fish to make some noise and show that they have been doing something.
Maybe they're not going after "skill", they're going after people dumb enough to register.[0] They can pick up script kids that look good for the cameras and will undoubtedly brag about all their "hacking" exploits making them easier to convict.
[0]: 419 scammers use the same tactic to weed out people who likely won't fall for a 419 scam.