Gaming Chats Are a Hunting Ground: FBI Warns Parents About the 764 Network

Federal investigators are sounding the alarm about a violent online network that hunts for children inside gaming chats, social media, and private messaging apps. The group, known as 764, has been linked to predators who befriend kids in public game lobbies, then move conversations into private spaces where they use threats and blackmail to pressure victims into harmful acts.

The FBI first flagged this threat through its Columbia, South Carolina field office, where investigators describe the network’s behavior as so extreme that they now look at it through the lens of domestic terrorism. The danger is not gaming itself, agents are quick to note. It is the adults using these platforms to reach vulnerable children.

Here is what the FBI says parents should understand:

The approach looks innocent at first. Contact usually begins with a friendly message in a public game chat or comment section. It can feel harmless: a compliment, a shared interest, an offer to team up.

Conversations move quickly to private apps. Within hours or days, the chat shifts to encrypted or less-monitored platforms where parents and moderators cannot see it. That is when pressure, threats, and blackmail typically begin.

The signs can hide in plain sight. Investigators warn that some victims show marks of self-harm. Children may seem withdrawn, secretive about their devices, or suddenly reluctant to talk about who they are playing with.

Prevention starts at home. The FBI recommends playing games with your child sometimes, keeping consoles in shared spaces, turning on privacy settings and parental controls, and having regular conversations about who they talk to online.

Source: FBI warns of online predators targeting SC children through gaming platforms — WIS News 10

If you believe a child is being targeted, act immediately. Report a predator here. You can also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at cybertipline.org.