Members of the local Asian business community have been receiving threatening telephone calls saying if they don't pay large sums of cash they could be killed.
Police said they've received a handful of complaints from across the city and are now warning the public of what they're calling an extortion scheme.
There have been "more than five" threatening phone calls, said police spokesman Const. J.P. Vincelette.
He said the victims have received calls from a person speaking Mandarin who threatens violence if they don't hand over cash.
Similar incidents have occurred in the Toronto area.
"It seems to have carried through to here now," said Vincelette.
Ottawa police wouldn't release any more details of the nature of the threats or if anyone had paid the ransom.
'PRETTY SCARED'
中国人欺负中国人
