To the casual observer, cybercriminals can look like swashbuckling geniuses.
They possess technical skills formidable enough to penetrate the networks of the biggest companies on the planet.
They cover their tracks using technology that is arcane to most people—VPNs, encrypted chat apps, onion routing, aliases in dark web forums.
That saying started with the recruitment process, that it also applies to the criminals is just a natural consequence.