Attorney General Alan Wilson has issued a warning to parents regarding an online trend involving groups such as 764, which is reportedly targeting teenagers by promoting violent and harmful activities. According to Wilson, these groups, often consisting of teenagers themselves, are notorious for coercing others into producing and sharing gore-related content. This behavior includes acts like cutting, displaying of blood signs, producing and distributing child sexual abuse material, engaging in sextortion, promoting bestiality, committing acts of animal torture or killing, and creating suicide documentation.
Wilson noted that these online groups further encourage their victims to recruit others and act as perpetrators within online platforms such as video games and chat rooms. In addition, leaders within these networks are known to execute aggressive actions like swatting and bomb threats.
There are several indicators that a child might be at risk of becoming involved with such groups or being victimized by them. Often, victims are unaware of their status as victims until they refuse to comply with demands, at which point they may be subjected to threats.
Wilson advises that if parents suspect their child is a victim of such activities, they should promptly contact local law enforcement or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Additional information about the 764 group and similar activities can be accessed via the Internet Crime Complaint Center under the topic "Violent Online Networks Target Vulnerable and Underage Populations Across the United States and Around the Globe."