While Brampton and Mississauga have been the epicentre for extortionists mostly targeting the South Asian community, residents in small Ontario towns haven’t been spared from what’s become a Canada-wide crime wave.

The number of extortion-related crimes in Peel has spiked since 2020, with 490 crimes reported in 2024. There was a slight drop-off in extortion incidents in 2025, but the number of businesses targeted continues to climb.

Recent years have seen an increase in extortion threats in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia, with Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown saying there’s a risk of the crime wave spreading from “hotspots” like Brampton “to every city in Canada.”

And while most incidents have been reported in major population areas, dozens of extortion cases are under investigation in rural Ontario, the OPP says.

The Caledon and Dufferin OPP detachments currently have more than 50 open extortion investigations, and there have been another 10 reported incidents in the Norfolk, Brant, Middlesex and Wellington areas, police say.

Some of the threats have escalated into shootings, the OPP says.

READ MORE: ‘Enough is enough,’ as Ottawa takes steps to halt extortion in Brampton and Mississauga

“These individuals have employed intimidation tactics, including discharging firearms into victims’ homes and businesses, placing community members at significant risk,” OPP Detective Inspector Matt Watson said in a release.

The extortion threats are usually made via phone call or text message, sometimes over WhatsApp, from potentially violent criminals making threats for protection money. Some of the threats have turned violent, and Brown himself has been the target of multiple alleged threats.

To help combat extortionists, the federal government announced last week that it is introducing financial tracking technology to follow the money trail to gain intelligence on criminals through Canadian banks, credit unions, and financial service providers of virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Police are urging anyone who has been a target of extortion threats or who may have information about these incidents to contact the OPP by calling 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips may also be provided to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or visiting www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

When you contact Crime Stoppers you stay anonymous, never have to testify, and could receive a $2,000 reward.

The measures announced by the Government of Canada include:

​Prioritizing financial intelligence resources to tackle extortion, enabling law enforcement to receive more timely and relevant intelligence to identify criminal networks and support investigations.
Launching a Countering Extortion Partnership with financial institutions, government, and law enforcement alongside partners such as the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and local police.
Assigning financial intelligence experts from FINTRAC as dedicated liaison officers to work directly with local law enforcement in the most affected areas, including Ontario.
Providing financial institutions with clear guidance on how to detect extortion transactions.
Publishing intelligence on how criminals move and hide extortion money.


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