FBI Issues Urgent Warning About ‘The Com’ Cybercrime Group

The FBI has issued a trio of public service announcements warning of a rapidly growing online criminal ecosystem known as “The Com,” short for “The Community.”

This decentralized group, made up largely of minors and young adults, is responsible for a wide range of increasingly severe crimes, from cryptocurrency theft and SIM swapping to physical violence and sexual extortion.

The alerts, issued by the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), describe The Com as a transnational network operating across social media, gaming platforms, and private communication apps. Though loosely organized, the group is subdivided into three specialized factions: Hacker Com, IRL Com, and Extortion Com. Each plays a role in a broader criminal ecosystem that preys on young, impressionable individuals, both as perpetrators and victims.

The FBI estimates that thousands of individuals, most aged between 11 and 25, have participated in The Com. While membership is often fluid, these actors operate in interconnected networks and sometimes migrate between subgroups to contribute their skills or achieve shared goals. Initial contact is frequently made through gaming platforms and social media, where group members exploit shared interests to recruit new participants.

The network's core appeal lies in its mix of ideology, financial incentives, and notoriety. Members often gain status by showcasing the profits of cryptocurrency thefts or the scale of their hacks. Yet these same displays of wealth can make them targets of their own community's violence and extortion.

Hacker Com: cybercrime arm

Hacker Com is the most technically adept subgroup. Its members are involved in cyberattacks, including DDoS operations, data breaches, SIM swaps, phishing, and the sale of government email accounts. Some are affiliated with Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operators and have been linked to high-profile breaches. Cryptocurrency theft remains a primary motivator, with some thefts reportedly reaching into the millions.

The tools used by Hacker Com are varied and include remote access trojans (RATs), phishing kits, VPNs, spoofing tools, voice modulators, and encrypted communications platforms. These actors often use swatting as a distraction tactic during intrusions or to retaliate against rival members.

IRL Com: violence arm

A far more disturbing development is the evolution of IRL Com, short for “In Real Life.” This subgroup originated from the SIM swapping community and now offers violence-as-a-service (VaaS). Crimes include armed robbery, assault, kidnapping, and even contract killings, which are advertised openly with pricing tiers on social media and encrypted chat platforms.

IRL Com uses the threat or enactment of violence to enforce internal discipline, settle disputes, and maintain credibility within the group. Swatting also plays a central role here, not just for profit but as a means of intimidation and control. Disobedient members, or even their families, may be targeted with false emergency reports designed to provoke armed police responses.

Extortion Com: targeting minors

While not the subject of a dedicated bulletin, the FBI identifies Extortion Com as the third major branch. This faction exploits minors, especially young girls, through sextortion schemes, doxing, and threats of IRL violence. Content produced is sometimes circulated within the group's ecosystem or sold. These crimes often begin on minor-friendly platforms where abusers gain trust before escalating to blackmail.

How to stay safe

The FBI recommends a multi-faceted approach to reducing the risk of exploitation or involvement:

• Monitor children's online activity and talk to them about the risks of engaging with strangers online.
• Enable multifactor authentication on all sensitive accounts.
• Limit personal exposure by applying strict privacy settings on social media.
• Avoid sharing information about cryptocurrency holdings or financial assets publicly.
• Never respond to extortion attempts and report threats immediately to law enforcement.
• Use trusted services like NCMEC's Take It Down to help remove explicit images of minors.

Victims or those at risk are urged to report incidents to IC3.gov, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or their local FBI field office.