Extortion in Canada: Statistics, Law and Trends (2025 Data)

Police in Canada reported 12,132 extortion incidents in 2025, a rate of 29.13 per 100,000 people. That is almost four times the 3,055 incidents reported in 2015. The peak came in 2023, with 14,109 incidents (35.2 per 100,000), and the rate has fallen in each of the two years since.

British Columbia has the highest extortion rate among the provinces (47.27 per 100,000 in 2025). Abbotsford-Mission, B.C., has the highest rate of any metropolitan area (87.83). These figures are the latest police-reported data from Statistics Canada, for 2025, released in summer 2026.

How many extortion cases are there in Canada?

Extortion has been one of the fastest-growing crimes in Canada over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2025, the national extortion rate rose by about 240%, from 8.56 to 29.13 per 100,000. Over the same period, the overall violent crime rate rose about 35%, and the rate for all crime rose about 2%.

Extortion is still a small share of violent crime. It made up about 2% of police-reported violent Criminal Code incidents in 2025 (12,132 of 601,139), up from under 1% in 2015.

The table below shows police-reported extortion in Canada from 2015 to 2025. Rates are per 100,000 population.

Is extortion increasing in Canada?

It rose for most of the decade, then began to ease. The biggest jumps came in 2018 (rate up about 46% from 2017), 2022 (up about 44%) and 2023 (up about 36%). After the 2023 peak, the rate fell to 32.22 in 2024 and 29.13 in 2025. That is about 17% below the peak, but still more than three times the 2015 rate.

The national numbers include every type of extortion police record. That can mean demands made in person or by phone to business owners, as well as online threats such as sextortion, where someone threatens to share intimate images unless the victim pays. The Statistics Canada category does not separate these types, so the data cannot say how much of the rise comes from each one.

What is extortion in Canada?

Under section 346 of the Criminal Code, a person commits extortion when, without reasonable justification or excuse and intending to obtain something, they use threats, accusations, menaces or violence to make someone do something, or try to. The "something" does not have to be money. It can be property, a service, a sexual act, or any other action.

Extortion is an indictable offence. The maximum sentence is life imprisonment. When a firearm is used, mandatory minimum prison terms can apply, especially where the firearm is restricted or prohibited or the offence is linked to a criminal organization. Sentencing law in this area has been changing, so the exact rules depend on the facts and the date of the offence.

Extortion cases often come with other charges. Depending on the facts, police may also lay charges for uttering threats (s. 264.1), criminal harassment (s. 264), intimidation (s. 423), arson, or firearms offences such as discharging a firearm with intent or recklessly (ss. 244 and 244.2). For a fuller explanation, see our guide to extortion under the Canadian Criminal Code.

This is general information, not legal advice. Whether a set of facts amounts to extortion is for police, prosecutors and the courts to decide.

Which province has the highest extortion rate?

Among the provinces, British Columbia had the highest extortion rate in 2025, at 47.27 per 100,000 (2,693 incidents). Quebec was next at 37.06, and it had the most incidents of any province (3,357). The Northwest Territories (71.82) and Yukon (55.93) had higher rates than any province, but with only 33 and 27 incidents, a handful of cases can move their rates a lot from year to year.

The table below ranks provinces and territories by extortion rate per 100,000 in 2025.

Which province has the lowest extortion rate?

Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest rate in 2025, at 18.55 per 100,000 (102 incidents). Nova Scotia (20.49) and Ontario (20.54) were close behind. Ontario's low rate may surprise readers who have followed news from Brampton. Ontario is a large province, and high counts in some places are averaged with lower rates elsewhere.

Most provinces saw their extortion rate fall in 2025. Only Manitoba and the three territories saw increases. Nunavut's 81.5% rise reflects just 11 incidents.

Which cities have the most extortion?

Measured by rate, the census metropolitan areas (CMAs) with the most extortion in 2025 were mostly in British Columbia. A CMA covers a central city and its surrounding suburbs. Abbotsford-Mission led with 87.83 per 100,000 (196 incidents), up 42.5% from 2024. It was followed by Chilliwack (60.16), Drummondville (58.77), Nanaimo (55.95) and Red Deer (52.86).

The table below shows the ten CMAs with the highest extortion rates in 2025, and Canada's other largest CMAs.

By count, the Toronto CMA had the most extortion incidents (1,671), followed by Montréal (1,540) and Vancouver (1,446). Their rates are lower than in many smaller CMAs because their populations are so large.

The lowest rates among the 40 CMAs were in Barrie (8.65 per 100,000), Regina (10.35), Belleville-Quinte West (11.17) and London (13.08). Rates fell in 27 of the 40 CMAs in 2025 and rose in 13.

Smaller CMAs with a few dozen incidents can see large swings. Brantford's 78.8% rise, for example, reflects 40 incidents.

Extortion in Surrey, Brampton and Edmonton

Since 2023, police in Surrey, Brampton and Edmonton have publicly warned of extortion demands against business owners, many of them in the South Asian community. In some cases the threats were followed by shootings at businesses or homes. The Statistics Canada data do not single out these cases, but they show how extortion has grown in the police services that cover these cities.

Surrey extortion statistics

Surrey's police-reported extortion rose sharply through 2024. Under the Surrey RCMP, it went from 69 incidents in 2015 (12.97 per 100,000) to 439 in 2024 (63.6 per 100,000). The 2024 rate was nearly double the national rate that year (32.22).

In late 2024, policing in Surrey began moving from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service. As a result, Surrey's 2025 figures are split between the two services. The Surrey Police Service reported 292 extortion incidents (69.16 per 100,000 in its area), and the Surrey RCMP reported 153 (54.37 per 100,000 in its area). Added together, that is 445 extortion incidents in Surrey in 2025, about the same as the 439 in 2024.

Because each service's rate is based on its own share of the population during the transition, the two 2025 rates should not be added or compared directly with earlier years. Both are well above the 2025 national rate of 29.13.

Surrey's extortion rise has come while its overall crime has mostly declined. For the wider picture, read our detailed analysis of crime in Surrey, B.C. or see the full Surrey crime statistics.

Brampton and Mississauga (Peel Region) extortion statistics

Peel Regional Police, which polices Brampton and Mississauga, reported 525 extortion incidents in 2025, a rate of 34.04 per 100,000. That is above the national rate (29.13) and well above the Toronto CMA rate (23.79). In 2015, Peel reported 90 incidents (6.7 per 100,000), so its rate has risen about five-fold in ten years.

The biggest jump came in 2024, when incidents rose from 332 to 524 and the rate climbed about 52%. In 2025 the count held steady at 525. Unlike the national trend, Peel's extortion rate did not fall in 2025.

Edmonton extortion statistics

The data in this article cover Edmonton at the metropolitan level only, not the Edmonton Police Service on its own. The Edmonton CMA had 444 extortion incidents in 2025, a rate of 26.15 per 100,000. That is slightly below the national rate and down 26.7% from 2024. A drop across the whole metropolitan area does not mean every type of extortion fell, and the figures cannot isolate business-targeted cases.

Why police-reported extortion may undercount the problem

These numbers include only incidents reported to and recorded by police. Extortion is a crime many victims do not report. Business owners may fear retaliation. People targeted by sextortion may feel embarrassed or afraid, especially young people. Some victims quietly pay.

A rise in police-reported extortion can reflect more crime, more reporting, or both. Public warnings and dedicated police task forces can encourage more victims to come forward, which can push counts up even if actual extortion stays the same.

What should you do if you are being extorted?

Police services across Canada give similar advice to people facing extortion threats:

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• Report it to your local police. Even if you are unsure whether it counts as a crime, police can assess it.
• Do not pay. Paying does not guarantee the threats will stop and can lead to more demands.
• Keep the evidence. Save messages, call logs, letters, usernames, account details and any payment records. Do not delete anything.
• Stop engaging. Do not negotiate or argue with the person making the threats.
• For online threats or sextortion, block the person after saving the evidence, report the account to the platform, and tell police. Young people should tell a trusted adult.
• Protect your business and home. Police may suggest security cameras, lighting and sharing information with neighbouring businesses.

Fraud-related extortion scams, such as fake government or debt-collection threats, can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, as well as to police.

About the data

All figures come from Statistics Canada's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey, table 35-10-0177 (incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations). The latest year is 2025, released in summer 2026. Extortion is UCR violation code 1620 and is counted as a violent Criminal Code violation.

Rates are per 100,000 population, which allows fair comparison between places of different sizes. Provincial and territorial figures cover all police services in each jurisdiction. Census metropolitan areas (CMAs) cover a central city and its suburbs. Police service figures, such as Peel Regional Police, Surrey RCMP and the Surrey Police Service, cover only the area each service polices. For Surrey in 2025, we added the incident counts of the two services. Percentage changes are calculated on rates.

You can look up extortion and other crime numbers for your own city on statistics.crimecanada.ca. If you are in the Surrey area and need legal help, see our page on criminal lawyers in Surrey.

People facing a charge, and victims, can request a free, confidential first consultation through Crime Canada with an independent criminal lawyer at /free-consultation/.

Frequently asked questions

What is extortion in Canada?

Under section 346 of the Criminal Code, extortion means using threats, accusations, menaces or violence, without reasonable justification or excuse, to make someone do something so you can obtain anything. The goal does not have to be money. It can be property, a service or a sexual act. Extortion is an indictable offence with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

How many extortion cases are there in Canada?

Police in Canada reported 12,132 extortion incidents in 2025, a rate of 29.13 per 100,000 people, according to Statistics Canada. That is nearly four times the 3,055 incidents in 2015. The peak was in 2023, with 14,109 incidents (35.2 per 100,000). The rate has fallen in both 2024 and 2025.

What is the penalty for extortion under the Criminal Code of Canada?

Extortion under section 346 of the Criminal Code can carry up to life imprisonment. When a firearm is used, mandatory minimum prison terms can apply, especially if the firearm is restricted or prohibited or the offence is linked to a criminal organization. The actual sentence depends on the facts, the person's record and the court. This is general information, not legal advice.

Which province has the highest extortion rate in Canada?

British Columbia had the highest extortion rate of any province in 2025, at 47.27 per 100,000 (2,693 incidents). Quebec was next at 37.06 and had the most incidents (3,357). The Northwest Territories (71.82) and Yukon (55.93) had higher rates, but their small populations mean a few cases can swing their rates a lot.

How many extortion cases were there in Surrey and Brampton?

In 2025, Surrey had 445 police-reported extortion incidents: 292 reported by the Surrey Police Service and 153 by the Surrey RCMP, about the same as 439 in 2024. Peel Regional Police, covering Brampton and Mississauga, reported 525 incidents in 2025 (34.04 per 100,000), up from 90 in 2015.

What should I do if someone is trying to extort me?

Call 911 if you are in immediate danger, and report the threats to your local police. Do not pay, because paying often leads to more demands. Save all messages, call logs and payment records, and stop engaging with the person. For online threats or sextortion, report the account to the platform after saving the evidence.