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After the FBI launched an investigation into a sophisticated criminal network targeting kids and teens online known as “764,” a former FBI agent is providing parents with practical tips to keep their children safe.
Dr. Stephen Boyce, CEO and president of the Cyber Doctor and former forensic analyst with the FBI, explained to Fox News Digital that the group originated around 2021 and has grown into a global threat.
“The 764 Group is a decentralized network of neo-Nazi, satanic ideology and is tied to a group called the Order of Nine Angels,” said Boyce.
What sets this group apart is its fragmented yet coordinated structure, with members spreading their influence across popular social media and gaming platforms.
FBI TARGETS 250 SUSPECTS IN ‘764’ NETWORK OF ONLINE PREDATORS MANIPULATING KIDS INTO VIOLENT, EXPLICIT VIDEOS
The FBI launched an investigation into a sophisticated criminal network targeting kids and teens online known as “764.” (Annette Riedl/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Unpacking 764:
Initially traced back to a U.S.-based founder who was later sentenced to 80 years in prison, the group has since expanded its reach. The FBI recently shared that it is investigating at least 250 incidents tied to the group.
“The FBI is investigating at least 250 subjects who are tied to violent online networks commonly referred to as ‘764’ but includes many offshoot networks and names,” the FBI told Fox News in a statement on Tuesday evening. “All 55 FBI field offices across the country are involved in these investigations.”
The predators are known for targeting minors on social media and using coercion to get them to film themselves committing violent or sexual acts, and then using those videos to extort minors for increasing violent or sexual videos that are then shared with “764” followers online.
Boyce warned that “the common one that certainly hits all the headlines is Roblox as well as Discord”, noting that while these platforms are not inherently malicious, their communication features have been exploited by predators.
Mainstream apps that many young adults use, like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and X, are not immune to misuse, he said.
“I think anything where you have the ability to communicate with someone else warrants parents being aware of who their kids are interacting with,” he said.
The predators are known for targeting minors on social media and using coercion to get them to film themselves committing violent or sexual acts. (iStock)
Boyce said an equally concerning factor is the group’s use of psychological tactics to entrap victims. “One of the most common tactics is love bombing and getting into these fake online relationships,” said Boyce.
The manipulation can lead to minors sending compromising content or performing disturbing acts.
“There is quite a bit of that sextortion, as well as various different things and the use of encoded language,” Boyce explained, pointing to the use of communicating through memes and coded language.
The group’s endgame can be especially tragic. In some cases, the 764 network pushes its victims toward livestreamed self-harm and even suicide. “They do promote self-harm,” he said. “Children have been asked to self-harm and write their name in their own blood.”
These acts are often used as rites of passage within the group, further binding victims into its toxic culture, he explained.
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A former FBI agent is providing parents with practical tips to keep their children safe. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Parenting Pointers:
Yaron Litwin, the CMO at Canopy Parental Control App, told Fox News Digital that limiting screen time “isn’t enough.”
“It isn’t enough to put screen time limits in place. It isn’t enough to install parental controls. Moms and dads need to be proactive and maintain an open line of dialogue with their kids on online safety topics, and should do their best to enact and enforce household rules, which will at least somewhat neutralize real threats like 764,” he said.
Knowing what apps children are using, who they are communicating with, and monitoring any shifts in behavior can be lifesaving. Parents should keep an eye out for secrecy around online activities, sudden romantic entanglements, unusual meme usage, animal cruelty and any signs of self-harm.
“For instance, newfound displays of irritability, growing secrecy about their device use and suddenly appearing to be socially withdrawn can all be signs of growing exposure to 764 or other dangerous or harmful online groups,” he said. “A sudden loss of interest in their offline lives and constantly seeking privacy can also be suspicious signs.
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“If your kid is experiencing signs like these, react with caution and care — not panic.”
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.