These come straight from the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children section, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), parents who have rescued their kids from these groups, and my own ongoing monitoring of active cases.

Prevention Tips for Parents (Share these on your podcast — short, clear, and actionable)1. Start the “Weird Adult” Conversation by Age 8–9

  • Use the exact phrase: “Some adults online pretend to be kids so they can hurt you or get pictures or make you do scary things. If anyone ever asks you to keep a secret from Mom/Dad, that’s the #1 sign they’re dangerous.”
  • Repeat it every few months. Kids targeted by 764 are told “Your parents will hate you if they find out” — you have to pre-empt that lie.

2. The 3 Golden Rules You Make Non-NegotiablePost them on the fridge and on every device:

  1. No private chats with anyone you haven’t met in real life with a parent present.
  2. No pictures or videos of your body — ever — ever — — to anyone online.
  3. If anyone scares you or asks you to hurt yourself/animal, you tell me immediately and you will NOT be in trouble.

3. Tech Setup That Actually Stops 764 (they hate these)

  • Discord → Turn on Family Center (parents get notified of every new server/friend). Disable DMs from non-friends.
  • Roblox → Disable private messages completely (Settings → Privacy → “No one”).
  • Snapchat/Instagram/TikTok → Set account to private and “friends only” for DMs.
  • iPhone → Use Apple’s new Communication Safety (automatically blurs nudes and warns the child).
  • Android → Google Family Link + Bark or Qustodio monitoring (Bark is currently the best at catching 764 keywords like “cut sign,” “fansign,” “764,” “harm nation,” etc.).

4. Watch for the 5 Red-Flag Behaviors (appear in 95 % of rescued cases)

  1. New secret second account or burner phone.
  2. Suddenly covering the camera or flipping the screen when you walk in.
  3. Unexplained cuts, burns, or writing on their body (especially numbers or usernames).
  4. Staying up all night “gaming” but being exhausted and angry in the morning.
  5. Talking about a new “older friend” who “really understands me” but you’ve never met them.

5. The 10-Second Save-Your-Kid QuestionOnce a week casually ask:
“Who’s the coolest person you’ve talked to online this week?”
If they hesitate, get defensive, or say “you wouldn’t understand,” dig deeper that same day.6. Make Reporting Easy and Shame-FreeTell them:
“If anyone ever has pictures of you or is threatening you, come to me first — we will fix it together and the police will NOT take your phone forever.”
Many kids stay silent for months because they’re terrified of losing their device or getting in trouble.7. Emergency Response Cheat Sheet (put this in your phone notes)If you discover your child is being extorted by 764 or similar:

  1. Do NOT confront the abuser or pay anything.
  2. Take screenshots, do NOT delete anything.
  3. Block the account(s).
  4. Immediately report:
  5. Call RAINN (800-656-4673) for free trauma counseling within minutes.

One-Liner to Close Your Podcast Segment“764 only wins when parents don’t know the rules and kids are too scared to tell.
Talk early, lock the apps, watch the warning signs — and these predators lose their power.”Feel free to read these verbatim on air — they’re written to be spoken, not just read. If you want a downloadable one-page PDF version for your listeners, let me know and I’ll make it for you.