What he's describing doesn't sound to me so much as wannabe security researchers but rather as pretend security researchers who have found a niche way to beg for quick money online which requires a bit more technical skill than 419ing scamming or bartering on second hand sales because "they just lost their job" and "they need it for their kid". It's the kid's birthday. And he really wants it. Oh, he is disabled. And has cancer. Terminal.

In other words, I don't think the primary motivation is getting started in security research, nor pretending to be a competent researcher (which is how I understand the term "wannabe"). The motivation is just the money itself.