FBI agents warn violent online networks coerce victims into self-harm and sexual exploitation

FBI agents described a growing threat from violent online networks that recruit vulnerable people on public social platforms, win their trust and then coerce them into self-harm, sexually explicit acts or producing exploitative material that is shared inside criminal communities.

On the Inside the FBI podcast, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Abby Picacio, who oversees specialized child sexual exploitation investigations, said the behavior often begins with grooming online friendships that escalate. "They start asking for more and more harmful acts," she said, describing cases in which attackers pressured victims to record and share increasingly harmful content and then used that material or personal information as leverage.

The episode traced the shorthand name '764' to widely publicized networks from 2020–21. "764 was one of the original names of these criminal networks back around 2020 [and] 2021," said FBI supervisory special agent Kyle Capello, who works in the bureau's counterterrorism division, adding that arrests splintered the original group but the term persists to describe similar conduct.

Picacio and Capello described multiple motivations behind the networks, including sexual exploitation and "nihilistic violent extremism," where participants are driven by an ideology to sow chaos rather than only profit. Picacio said the FBI began noticing a distinct pattern in 2021, including victims showing signs of self-harm such as carved initials, which prompted closer, cross‑division collaboration.

Parents, caregivers and educators were given specific warning signs to watch for: sudden withdrawal or depression, frantic or fearful phone behavior, and physical indicators such as carvings or unexplained injuries. "If a child does come to you and shares information that they have been a victim, make sure the child knows first and foremost that they are not in trouble," Picacio said, urging compassion and prompt reporting.

The agents emphasized that much of this recruitment begins on publicly accessible platforms, and while some communications move to encrypted messaging later, victims do not need to access the dark web to be targeted. Picacio warned that some subjects target many victims across networks — investigators have found perpetrators who were pursuing five, 10 or 20 victims.

To report suspected criminal activity, the podcast listed contact options: call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), submit tips at tips.fbi.gov, or contact your local FBI field office. The FBI also referenced resources from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Picacio encouraged victims to come forward: "They are not alone ... by coming forward ... they are likely freeing many, many other victims by providing that information to law enforcement.”

The episode closed with production credits and directions to fbi.gov/mpodcasts and other FBI podcast platforms for listeners seeking additional episodes or resources.