Odido breach: Hackers call police "a big joke" after audio broadcast

Dutch police have broadcast an audio recording of the suspect behind the massive data breach at telecom provider Odido. Cybercrime collective ShinyHunters has since mocked law enforcement and threatened a new attack in the Netherlands.

Voice of Odido suspect played on national television

During a broadcast of the Dutch police-appeals television programme Opsporing Verzocht on September 7, 2026, police released an audio recording featuring the suspect's voice. The decision to publish the clip came after the caller failed to respond to an ultimatum issued by authorities in July urging him to turn himself in.

Following an investigation by a voice expert, law enforcement confirmed that the recording features a genuine human voice rather than artificial intelligence. "The man speaks neat Dutch and has a number of striking tones and characteristics in his voice that might make him recognisable, especially to his family, friends, and acquaintances," a police spokesperson told NOS.

Authorities also noted that the suspect specifically used English IT jargon during the phone call. This detail suggests that the suspect may have personal experience working in an IT environment or intimate knowledge of helpdesk operations.

How the 6,2 million customer breach happened

Reconstructions shown on Opsporing Verzocht revealed that the suspect had called Odido multiple times before executing the breach. Pretending to be an IT colleague resolving an urgent technical issue, the caller persuaded a customer service employee to log in to what turned out to be a cloned internal portal.

The employee submitted their username, password and a two-factor verification code, granting the perpetrators full access to internal networks. "Then all the doors were open," a police spokesperson said during the television broadcast. According to NOS, this single compromised entry point allowed the group to steal sensitive personal records belonging to 6,2 million customers, including IBANs, home addresses, and identification details.

Following the breach in February, the extortionists demanded 1 million euros in ransom. Odido refused to pay, leading ShinyHunters to publish the dataset on the dark web. Authorities noted that victims have since faced relentless phishing attempts aimed at stealing money from people in the Netherlands.

"A big joke": Hackers mock police and threaten new attack

The hacker collective was quick to respond to the televised appeal. In a statement provided to RTL Nieuws, ShinyHunters referred to the caller as "our employee" and pledged full mental, financial and legal backing, including funding a criminal defence lawyer if needed.

The group dismissed the police investigation, claiming that authorities will need "all the luck in the world" to catch the suspect before the collective carries out another large-scale data theft in the country. "Honestly, the Dutch police are a big joke, they can do nothing. Incompetent. Irrelevant. Useless," ShinyHunters stated.

Law enforcement officials continue to appeal to the public for tips to identify the caller. Meanwhile, residents and expats across the Netherlands are advised to remain vigilant against suspicious emails and phone calls linked to the leaked Odido data.