What Parents Need To Know About ‘764,’ The Violent Online Group Targeting Kids On Roblox And Discord

TL;DR for busy parents:

“764” is an online extremist network that targets kids on Roblox, Discord, and other apps.

Members groom kids, then use blackmail and threats to force self-harm, sexual content, and violence.

Watch for sudden mood changes, secretive online behavior, injuries, and cruelty to pets.

Talk often about online safety and make it clear your child can tell you anything, no matter what someone threatens.

If you suspect your child is being targeted, save evidence, get professional help, and report it to the FBI and the CyberTipline.

If you’ve got kids on Roblox, Discord, TikTok, Snapchat, or any kind of gaming chat, you need to know the name “764.” This isn’t just another creepy account or random troll; the FBI is calling it a violent extremist network that specifically targets kids and teens.

This is one of those “I wish I didn’t have to write this, but here we are” posts.

What Is “764”?

“764” is an online extremist network that lives almost entirely on the internet, not in some specific town or school. The FBI describes it as part of a trend called “nihilistic violent extremism” — basically people who think hurting others, including kids, is entertainment, ideology, or both.

Instead of going after adults, they deliberately target minors and other vulnerable people and turn them into victims for fun, power, and clout inside their little circles.

How 764 Finds Kids

Here’s the part every parent actually needs to pay attention to: 764 is not hiding in some dark, secret corner of the web. They are on the exact platforms your kids already use.

According to the FBI and multiple news investigations, members of 764 and spin-off groups approach kids on:

• Roblox
• Discord
• TikTok
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Other gaming chats and social apps

They start like any normal online “friend”: chatting about games, school, or shared interests, slowly building trust. Once they feel like they’ve got a hook in, things turn dark.

What They Pressure Kids To Do

The FBI says networks like 764 use threats, blackmail, and manipulation to push kids into horrific acts. This isn’t just “send me a picture” level stuff.

Reported tactics include forcing or coercing kids to:

• Send nude or sexual images
• Hurt themselves on camera
• Carve words or symbols into their skin
• Hurt pets or other animals
• Share gore, violence, or self-harm content
• Talk about or even attempt suicide

Once they have something on a child — a photo, a video, a confession — they can keep threatening and extorting them to do more. That material then gets shared around inside the network so the abuse just keeps going.

Federal investigators have linked this pattern of behavior to real-world harm, including serious self-injury and suicides.

Why The FBI Is Calling This Terrorism

This is not just “internet bullying.” The FBI and Department of Justice say some of these groups, including 764 and related networks like “Greggy’s Cult,” are organized, coordinated, and ideologically driven.

Investigators have described 764-type networks as:

• “Modern-day terrorism” aimed at kids
• Extremist networks that glorify cruelty and mass violence
• Communities that celebrate self-harm, mass shootings, and death

They don’t just want to embarrass your kid; they want to break them down and use that damage as content and currency inside their group.

Real Cases: This Is Actually Being Prosecuted

If this all sounds too awful to be real, there are actual federal cases behind it.

• The Department of Justice has charged multiple men for running an online child exploitation enterprise dubbed “Greggy’s Cult,” accused of using Discord to terrorize and extort minors into extreme self-harm and child sexual abuse material.
• One defendant, Zachary Dosch of Albuquerque, has been identified in reporting as a prolific member tied into this larger ecosystem of online abuse and extortion targeting kids.
• The FBI says hundreds of people connected to these violent online networks are under investigation nationwide.

So yes, this is real enough that people are sitting in federal custody over it.

What This Looks Like From A Parent’s Point Of View

The scariest part: the kids this happens to are often from totally “normal,” stable homes. This is not just a “troubled kids” problem — it’s an “any kid with Wi-Fi” problem.

Journalists and investigators who’ve been digging into 764 say victims have been as young as 9. And a lot of the time, parents have no idea what’s going on until things are really bad.

You might see:

• A kid who suddenly lives on one app or game
• A new “friend” they’re weirdly obsessed with and/or scared of
• Behavior that looks like a mood swing but is actually fear and shame

Warning Signs To Watch For

The FBI and experts who track 764 and similar networks say to watch for clusters of changes, not just a single bad day.

Behavior and mood red flags:

• Sudden withdrawal, anger, or moodiness
• Dropping out of activities they used to love
• Big changes in sleep or eating
• Obsession with a new app, game, or online friend
• Talking about death, not wanting to exist, or feeling “useless”

Physical and self-harm signs:

• Fresh cuts, scratches, burns, or bruises
• Scars in patterns or words carved into skin
• Wearing long sleeves or pants in hot weather to hide injuries
• Writing or drawing with blood or “fake” blood

Online and situational red flags:

• Secretive online accounts or chats they won’t talk about
• Anonymous gifts or money, gaming currency, or random packages
• Family pets suddenly acting scared of your child — or getting hurt or dying in suspicious ways
• Law enforcement showing up to your home for no reason (swatting or doxxing)

One or two of these things by themselves don’t automatically mean “764,” but they are not normal and they do deserve attention.

How To Talk To Your Kids About This Without Freaking Them Out

You do not need to sit your 10-year-old down and say, “So there’s this terrorist group online making kids hurt themselves.” Please don’t.

Instead, take what the FBI and child-safety experts recommend and translate it into normal-parent language:

• Make “internet safety” a constant background conversation, not a one-time lecture.
• Be very clear that no one online — not friends, not “admins,” not strangers — is allowed to ask them for nudes, blood, or pain.
• Tell them: if anyone threatens you, blackmails you, or says, “If you tell your parents, I’ll ruin your life,” that is an automatic “tell mom/dad or a safe adult ASAP” situation.
• Reinforce that there is no amount of trouble they could get in that is worse than staying trapped in that kind of situation.

Kids stay silent because they’re terrified they’ll be blamed or punished. Your job is to make it crystal clear: if someone is hurting or threatening them online, you are on their side, full stop. This is also one of those moments when kids need to understand they do not have total online privacy if their safety is on the line.

Practical Things You Can Do Today

This is the part you can screenshot and stick in your Notes app.

Based on FBI guidance and expert recommendations, here are actions parents can take right now:

• Check privacy settings on every app. Make sure accounts are private, friend lists are locked down, and strangers can’t DM your kid freely.
• Know what apps and games they’re using. Roblox and Discord are called out repeatedly in reports because they let strangers talk directly to kids.
• Keep devices out of closed-door isolation for younger kids. Especially at night. Late-night panic texting and secret calls are when a lot of this escalates.
• Use parental controls, but don’t rely on them. Filters and time limits help, but kids can and do find ways around them, so relationship > software.
• Make “weird requests” an automatic safe-share. If anyone online asks them to do anything involving blood, pain, or nudity, they should come to you immediately, no matter what that person threatens.
• Watch your pets, too. Yes, really. Sudden cruelty toward animals or “games” that involve hurting a pet are huge warning signs.

What To Do If You Think Your Child Has Been Targeted

If your stomach is in your throat reading this because you recognize some of the signs, here’s what experts and the FBI say to do:

1. Do not panic in front of your child. You want them to feel safe talking, not like they just detonated a bomb in the living room.
2. Save everything. Screenshots, usernames, links, timestamps, chat logs, even weird packages — do not delete anything.
3. Get professional help for your child. Talk to your pediatrician, a therapist, or a child mental-health specialist who understands trauma and online exploitation.
4. Report it. The FBI and child-protection agencies specifically ask you to report these cases so they can track and stop offenders. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov. FBI field office: 1-800-CALL-FBI or your local office. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (CyberTipline): cybertipline.org or 1-800-THE-LOST.
5. If there is immediate danger, call 911. If you think your child might hurt themselves or someone else right now, treat it as an emergency.

There are also services like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s “Take It Down” program that can help remove intimate images of minors from some platforms.

The Bottom Line For Parents

You cannot bubble-wrap your kid off the internet, especially if they’re already school-age and social. But you can absolutely make them a harder target.

Know what 764 is. Watch for the signs. Talk early and often. And make it unbelievably clear that if something feels wrong online, they can come to you and you will help, not punish.

As a mom who lives on the internet for work, I hate that this is a thing we even have to talk about, but I would much rather you be over-informed than blindsided.