FBI Warning Parents in Maine, New Hampshire, & Massachusetts About Violent Online Networks

As parents in the 2020s, we have challenges that our parents never would have imagined.

Yes, technology has made our lives much easier and made it so much easier to stay in contact with each other, however, that technology has brought with it a host of new threats to the safety and security of our children.

According to a press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety, federal authorities are warning about a new danger to our children and vulnerable loved ones.

The press release explains:

The Maine Information and Analysis Center (MIAC), in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division (FBI), is sharing an important public safety advisory regarding the increased activity of violent online networks that are actively targeting minors and vulnerable individuals across the country and around the world. These networks operate on widely used platforms like social media, gaming apps, and messaging services. They exploit victims, many between the ages of 9 and 17, through manipulation, threats, and extortion, coercing them into acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, or worse.

Warnings signs that your child or loved one may have connected online with one of these groups include sudden changes in mood or behavior, increased secrecy surrounding their online activity, unexplained gifts, incidents of swatting or harming pets, and signs of self-harm.

While we focus on these groups as a threat to our children, they could also attempt to connect with intellectual disabilities.

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If you think your child or loved one may have been targeted by one of these groups you can report it HERE or call 1-800-CALL-FBI or 1-800-THE-LOST.