ABC-7 at 4: FBI is warning the public of violent online groups targeting minors

El Paso, Texas (KVIA-TV)— The FBI El Paso is warning about violent online groups that are using messaging platforms to extort minors into recording or live-streaming acts of self-harm.  Special Agent Harper explains what Gore Groups are, their names, and what parents need to be on the lookout for.

Agent Harper stated that Gore groups are deliberately targeting minor victims to extort them into live-streaming acts of self-harm and producing child sexual abuse materials, allowing the group members to control and blackmail victims to gain status within the group. Many members have an end goal of forcing minors into committing suicide on live-stream for their entertainment or their sense of fame.

The violent online groups use many names, including 676, 764, CVLT, Court, Kaskar, Harm Nation, Leak Society, and H3ll, but continuously evolve and form subgroups under different monikers. The sole purpose of these groups is to desensitize our children to extreme forms of gore and sexual and violent activities such as animal cruelty, beheadings, murders, suicides, self-harm, and body carvings to achieve the collapse of Western society through the degradation of social norms.

Gore groups are a cross-program threat to the FBI. They are classified as counterterrorism racially motivated violent extremist groups with online sexual exploitation and extortion of the children in our communities. That means both of our violations put resources toward these groups. These gore group actors build the perception of themselves as a gang or a cult with the sole purpose of destroying Western society.

The groups target minors between the ages of 8 and 17 years old, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, racial minorities, and those who struggle with a variety of mental health issues, such as depression and suicidal ideation. These actors are on popular online platforms like Telegram, Discord, Minecraft, and Roblox. There are signs your child may be involved with these groups.

• Victims are extorted into sending images of self-harm, such as cutting themselves, or videos and images of "fan signing." 
• "Fansiging" is when t "the subject pressures a victim to write or cut specific numbers, letters, symbols, or words onto their bodies and photograph them to send to the group.

 Agent Harper explains that there are victims in El Paso. The FBI victim reports just last week for several girls in our area. This is underreported because most parents don't know what they are dealing with. NCMEC has received hundreds of these reports in 2023, a drastic increase over 2022. 

Warning signs for parents/teachers/friends/caregivers

• Carvings, such as words or symbols, on the skin.
• Wearing long sleeves or pants in hot weather.
• Fresh cuts, scratches, bruises, bite marks, burns, or other wounds.
• Scars, often in patterns.
• 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.
• Threatening to commit suicide and openly talking about death, not being wanted or needed, or not being around.

If you are worried about someone who might be self-harming or is at risk of suicide, please consult a healthcare professional or call 9-1-1 in the event of an immediate, life-threatening emergency. You can also contact the FBI at 915-832-5000 after your child receives the help they need and report the actual incident with information related to the predators, such as screen names, online platforms, and identities of possible other victims.