764 network

Should I worry?

This is organised predation, and the harm is the point. Members build trust with a child, often by acting like a friend or romantic partner, then push the conversation to private apps, ask for secrecy and use embarrassing images or information to threaten and control them. Warning signs include a new online friend who insists on secrecy, a child who suddenly withdraws, seems frightened or ashamed, hides their screen, has unexplained marks or wears concealing clothing, or is upset after being online. If you suspect something, stay calm, tell your child they are not in trouble, keep the messages and screenshots rather than deleting them, stop contact with the account without engaging, and report it. Do not pay or negotiate.

How to join in

Your child probably will not know this network by name, and kids do not go looking for it. They meet it by accident, through friendly strangers in games, chats and social apps. The way in is a regular, low-key chat about who they talk to online: which friends they have only met online, and what would feel off. Kids like these spaces for real connection, so the goal is not to ban them but to make sure your child knows they can tell you about anything that feels wrong, without losing their device.

Sources

• FBI warns caregivers that violent online networks pose as friends or partners on games and social apps, then use compromising material to coerce kids into self-harm.