Waterloo Regional Police say members of the Asian community have lost $1.76 million through extortion scams so far this year.
According to police, there were 12 incidents in which Asian people received phone calls where the scammers present themselves to be employees of courier companies or law enforcement agencies.
They say the messages claim that the victim has been under investigation for their involvement in a fraud scheme.
The scammers then demand financial compensation to keep the matter from escalating.
“This is a scam,” police warned in a release. “Law enforcement agencies will not demand payment from you.”
Police also warned residents to not send money, follow instructions from automated callers speaking Mandarin or provide personal information over the phone.
They also said to be wary when someone asks for money to be transferred to bank accounts in China or Hong Kong.
Police also suggest residents should simply hang up if they receive these types of calls.