Peel Regional Police said in a statement Saturday they are introducing a new 1-866 phone number for extortion investigations.
Officers say they are currently investigating a “disturbing trend” of extortion attempts.
They also said these attempts are mainly targeted at members of the South Asian business community.
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Victims are reportedly contacted through social media platforms, and demands for money are made under threats of violence.
Sixteen incidents are being investigated right now, police said.
In response, a new task force and accompanying phone line have been launched to work alongside community members and other law-enforcement to stop these incidents from continuing.
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Peel police are asking the public to contact them if they, their families or their businesses are targeted with threats of violence to extort money or other valuables.
The new hotline phone number is 1-866-966-0616.
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