An Indian man who came to Canada three years ago and operates an immigration and education consulting company reported a chilling extortion attempt targeting him and his family. CTV News reported that multiple shots were fired targeting his home last weekend when he, his wife and his child were inside. He, who requested anonymity from the media, has already lodged a police complaint.The day after the shooting, the man received a video on his phone which showed the recording of the shooting. It looked like someone recorded the video sitting inside a car when the shooter was targeting his house. They demanded half a million dollars and gave him one day to arrange the money, failing which his family would be killed, they threatened. “First, they sent me the video and then they called me,” the man said adding that he told the extortionists that he did not have that amount of money. “We will kill your family,” he was told. A neighbour’s security camera also captured the incident. At least eight shots were fired, striking cars on the driveway and the garage door. The man said he left their Brampton home which was located near Sandalwood Parkway and Creditview Roa and will never return to that address. While the modus operandi of the extortion is not new in the area according to police records, the man said he had no idea why he had been targeted. Peel Police confirmed that no suspect information has been released. Its Extortion Investigations Task Force, which was launched in 2024 to look into the rising cases of extortions targeting South Asian business community, is investigating the case. There were more than 400 extortion cases reported last year. Last month, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown sent a letter to the federal government asking for help to combat the “escalating threat of extortion and transnational organized crime.” Brown said without federal support, “communities such as Brampton are left exposed to criminal networks that operate internationally, exploit digital platforms and rely on intimidation to silence victims.”
