764: The Online Network Grooming Children Into Violence
The FBI has hundreds of open investigations into 764, a shadowy online community that manipulates children into harming themselves and others. Here is what parents need to know.
Key points
- The FBI issued an urgent public warning to parents about 764, a global online network, in 2024.
- Hundreds of investigations into 764 and similar groups are active worldwide, including in Australia.
- The network uses blackmail and psychological manipulation to coerce vulnerable children into self-harm and violence.
- In some cases, child victims are turned into perpetrators who then target other minors.
- No technical background is needed to become a target: 764 operates across ordinary social platforms.
764 is not a hacking group. It does not steal credit-card numbers or break into corporate servers. What it does is arguably worse: it finds lonely or troubled children online, builds a fake sense of trust, and then uses that trust as a weapon.
The FBI this year issued a public warning naming 764 by name, calling it a global online community responsible for sexually exploiting minors and pushing them toward self-harm. Hundreds of investigations are open across multiple countries. Australian authorities are among those looking into cases.
How does this actually work?
The playbook is coercion, which means pressuring someone into doing something by threatening them. Recruiters find children on platforms they already use, gaming servers, social apps, private chat rooms. They pose as friends, sometimes as peers, and encourage young people to share private images or recordings.
Once they have that material, the threat comes: do what we say, or we send this to your parents, your school, your friends. Children, terrified and ashamed, often comply. The demands escalate.
What makes 764 particularly disturbing is what investigators and journalists at Guardian Australia have described as a second step: some victims are themselves recruited into targeting other children, becoming part of the network that hurt them.
Should parents be worried?
Yes, practically, not in a panic. The children most often targeted are those who are already isolated or struggling. That is not a reason to blame families; it is a reason to keep real lines of communication open.
If your child is spending long hours in private online chats with people you have never heard of, that is worth a calm conversation, not a confrontation. Children who fear punishment are less likely to report abuse.
Know what apps your child uses. Many platforms hosting these conversations are not the ones parents immediately think of.
What should you do if you suspect contact?
Do not delete anything. Screenshots and chat logs are evidence. Contact your national law-enforcement tip line: in the US that is the FBI's online tip form at tips.fbi.gov; in Australia, the Australian Federal Police runs the ThinkUKnow program for reporting online child abuse.
You can also report directly to the platform where the contact happened. Most major platforms have a dedicated child-safety reporting flow that escalates quickly.
If a child has already shared material under pressure, reassure them first. Shame keeps victims silent. Getting them talking to a trusted adult, then to authorities, is the priority.
Common questions
Is this only a risk on obscure or 'dark' websites?
No. Investigators have found 764-linked activity on mainstream gaming platforms, social apps, and private group-chat tools that most families already allow. The network moves between platforms to avoid detection.
What age group is most at risk?
Reports and FBI guidance point to pre-teens and teenagers, roughly ages 10 to 17, with children already experiencing social difficulties or mental-health struggles appearing most frequently in documented cases.
