Violent online groups targeting minors to record self-harm, child sexual abuse material, FBI says

PITTSBURGH — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning the public about violent online groups that are targeting minors on publicly available messaging platforms.

According to the FBI, the groups are targeting victims between 8 and 17 years old and are extorting them into recording or livestreaming videos of self-harm and child sexual abuse material. They target LGBTQ+ youth, racial minorities and those with mental health struggles especially.

“These individuals are simply doing this for the blood and guts. Simply doing this to see self-harm, individuals being pushed to the limit,” said Christopher Giordano with FBI Pittsburgh.

The FBI said the groups use threats, blackmail and manipulation to control the victims into these acts. The footage is then circulated among members to extort the victims further and exert control over them.

The groups have many names, including 676, 764, CVLT, Court, Kaskar, Harm Nation, Leak Society and H3ll, the FBI said. They also have subgroups under different names.

To get into most of the groups, prospective members have to livestream or upload videos showing their minor victims harming animals or committing self-harm, suicide, murder or other acts of violence, according to the FBI.

“They will have them carve their name into the child’s arms or legs as a way of marking their prey,” said Tim Wolford with FBI Pittsburgh Violent Crimes. “We aren’t going to put a number on them at this time but we do believe we are going to see an increasing number of cases in our area as time goes by.”

“The biggest mistake a parent can come out of this with is to think, ‘Not my child, not my community,’ we are seeing this here, we are extremely concerned about this,” Giordano said.

The FBI urges the public to be cautious when posting or direct messaging personal photos, videos or identifying information on social media, dating apps and other online sites. The organization also says the public should consider the following warning signs regarding self-harm or suicide:

• Sudden behavior changes such as becoming withdrawn, moody, or irritable.
• Sudden changes in appearance, especially neglect of appearance.
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits.
• Dropping out of activities and becoming more isolated and withdrawn.
• Scars, often in patterns.
• Fresh cuts, scratches, bruises, bite marks, burns, or other wounds.
• Carvings, such as words or symbols, on the skin.
• Wearing long sleeves or pants in hot weather.
• Threatening to commit suicide and openly talking about death, not being wanted or needed or not being around.

The FBI also recommends the public consider the following when sharing content or engaging with individuals online:

• Monitor children’s online activity and discuss risks associated with sharing personal content.
• Use discretion when posting images, videos, and personal content online, particularly those that include children or their information.
• Images, videos, or personal information posted online can be captured, manipulated, and distributed by malicious actors without your knowledge or consent.
• Once content is shared on the internet, it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove after it is circulated or posted by other parties.
• Run frequent online searches of you and your children’s information (e.g., full name, address, phone number, etc.) to help identify the exposure and spread of personal information on the internet.
• Apply privacy settings on social media accounts—including setting profiles and your friends’ lists as private—to limit the public exposure of your photos, videos, and other personal information.
• Consider using reverse image search engines to locate any photos or videos that have circulated on the internet without your knowledge.
• Exercise caution when accepting friend requests, communicating, engaging in video conversations, or sending images to individuals, you do not know personally. Be especially wary of individuals who immediately ask or pressure you to provide them photos or videos. Those items could be screen-captured, recorded, manipulated, shared without your knowledge or consent, and used to exploit you or someone you know.
• Do not provide any unknown or unfamiliar individuals with money or other items of value. Complying with malicious actors does not guarantee your sensitive photos or content will not be shared.
• Use discretion when interacting with known individuals online who appear to be acting outside their normal pattern of behavior. Malicious actors can easily manipulate hacked social media accounts.
• Secure social media and other online accounts using complex passwords or passphrases and multi-factor authentication.
• Research the privacy, data sharing, and data retention policies of social media platforms, apps, and websites before uploading and sharing images, videos, or other personal content.

If you believe you’re a victim of these crimes, you can report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov, the FBI Field Office at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.org or 1-800-THE LOST.

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