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RCMP Warn Parents Over 'The COM' Network After Group 764 Targets Children

The alert highlights how anonymous gaming and chat platforms can be used to groom children and escalate to sexual or violent exploitation.

RCMP logo shown in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
RCMP on Vancouver Island are warning parents and caregivers about a violent online group targeting children in games like Roblox and Minecraft. This is a Getty stock image of a child using a phone to go online.
A woman uses her computer keyboard to type while surfing the internet in North Vancouver, B.C., on December, 19, 2012.

Overview

  • West Shore RCMP opened an investigation after receiving three similar reports in the West Shore/Langford area, which it publicized Wednesday.
  • Police say a group known as 764 is linked to a larger online network called The COM that deliberately recruits vulnerable children ages 8 to 17.
  • Investigators say predators use grooming tactics such as befriending, gifts and coercion to push victims toward taking explicit images, self-harm, harming animals or committing violence.
  • The RCMP identified common platforms used by the network, including Discord, Telegram, Roblox, Minecraft and Twitch, and warned that private cross-platform messaging helps hide recruitment.
  • Officers listed clear warning signs for parents and gave reporting steps: call 911 if someone is in danger, contact West Shore RCMP, reach Kids Help Phone or submit a report to cybertip.ca.