Violent Online Groups Extort Minors to Self-Harm and Produce Child Sexual Abuse Material

The FBI is warning the public of violent online groups deliberately targeting minor victims on publicly available messaging platforms to extort them into recording or live-streaming acts of self-harm and producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). These groups use threats, blackmail, and manipulation to control the victims into recording or live-streaming self harm, sexually explicit acts, and/or suicide; the footage is then circulated among members to extort victims further and exert control over them.

TARGETING

The groups target minors between the ages of 8 and 17 years old, especially LGBTQ+ youth, racial minorities, and those who struggle with a variety of mental health issues, such as depression and suicidal ideation.

EXTORTION AND SELF-HARM

The groups use extortion and blackmail tactics, such as threatening to SWAT1 or DOX2 the minor victims, if they do not comply with the groups' requests, manipulate and extort minors into producing CSAM and videos depicting animal cruelty and self-harm. Self-harm activity includes cutting, stabbing, or fansigning3 . Members of the groups threaten to share sexually explicit videos or photos of the minor victims with their family, friends, and/or post to the internet. The groups control their victims through extreme fear and many members have an end-goal of forcing the minors they extort into committing suicide on live-stream for their own entertainment or their own sense of fame.

See Attachment for additional information.