About Us
Abbotsford, BC · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC)
Who We Are
We are a community resource hub dedicated to helping South Asian communities in Canada respond to extortion safely, report without fear, and support each other.
We are not law enforcement. We are not a vigilante group. We are not investigators.
We are educators, coordinators, and community members who believe that information saves lives and shame is the extortionist’s greatest weapon.
Our Mission
Radically reduce extortion’s impact on South Asian communities in Canada by strengthening:
- Reporting pathways - Making it easier and less frightening to report
- Community support networks - Connecting victims to help
- Prevention through education - Teaching communities how to protect themselves
Why This Exists
Extortion targeting South Asian communities in Canada has reached crisis levels. Families are losing money, peace of mind, and sometimes loved ones. Many suffer in silence because of:
- Shame and stigma - Fear of family or community judgment
- Language barriers - Not knowing where to turn or how to report
- Distrust of authorities - Uncertainty about what happens after reporting
- Isolation - Believing you’re the only one this is happening to
We exist to break that silence.
What We Do
Educate
We provide clear, accurate, culturally informed information about:
- What to do when receiving an extortion threat
- How to preserve evidence safely
- How to report to police and other authorities
- Where to find emotional, legal, and financial support
🔗 Connect
We partner with community organizations, gurdwaras, mandirs, mosques, cultural associations, and service providers to extend our reach and ensure help is available where people already gather.
📊 Inform
We publish news and analysis with anonymized, aggregated information about extortion patterns - so community members can recognize threats without providing operational details that help criminals.
Advocate
We work to ensure that official resources are accessible, multilingual, and responsive to community needs.
What We Don’t Do
We believe in clear boundaries:
| We DO NOT… | Why |
|---|---|
| Investigate crimes | That’s law enforcement’s job. Amateur investigation can compromise cases and endanger people. |
| Identify suspects | We never name, track, or “expose” anyone. |
| Encourage retaliation | Vigilantism creates legal risk and escalates danger. |
| Provide legal advice | We’re not lawyers. We connect people to those who are. |
| Share individual case details | Privacy protects victims and their families. |
| Collect personal data | We don’t build databases of victims. |
Our Principles
1. Victim Safety First
Every decision we make prioritizes the safety of people being extorted. If someone is in immediate danger, the answer is always: call 911.
2. Privacy by Design
We don’t collect what we don’t need. We anonymize and aggregate. We never expose victims to further harm through careless data handling.
3. No Vigilantism
We understand the anger that extortion causes. But retaliation - tracking, doxxing, threats - makes things worse and can make you the one facing legal consequences. Leave investigation to authorities.
4. Truth Discipline
We label information as confirmed, likely, or unverified. We cite sources. We correct errors. We don’t spread rumors.
Confirmed = Official police, government, or court source Likely = Multiple independent reports or strong circumstantial evidence Unverified = Single-source or emerging information
5. Cultural Humility
We serve diverse communities with diverse values. We don’t judge. We meet people where they are.
6. Transparency
We tell our community who we are, how we operate, and what we can and cannot do.
Who Runs AAOCTE
The Alliance Against Organized Coercion and Targeted Extortion (AAOCTE) was founded in 2026 by community members concerned about the rise in extortion targeting South Asian communities across Canada. The site is editorially led by Wade Deisman, with review input from partners in victim services, legal aid, and community organizations.
Editorial accountability: Factual claims are checked against official or reputable sources before publication. Community guidance is reviewed for safety, clarity, and cultural appropriateness. Corrections are logged transparently.
Editorial Lead: Wade Deisman, a criminologist and academic administrator with experience in public safety, policing, community safety, and justice education.
Review input from: Victim-services practitioners, legal-resource reviewers, and community organizations.
Partnership Model: We work alongside - not instead of - official resources including the BC Government, VictimLink, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and local police services.
Status: AAOCTE is a community resource initiative, not a registered non-profit or government agency. We do not collect personal data or operate a victim database.
Contact: info@stop-extortion.ca
Governance & Editorial Oversight
Content Review Roles
Our content is reviewed by:
- Community Safety Advisor — Reviews for accuracy and victim safety
- Victim Services Advisor — Ensures content aligns with best practices in victim support
- Legal/Resource Advisor — Reviews for appropriate legal framing and resource accuracy
- Cultural-Language Reviewer — Ensures respectful, accurate multilingual content
Names withheld unless reviewers consent to attribution.
Review Cycle
- Last reviewed: June 2026
- Next scheduled review: September 2026
- Ongoing: Breaking news items verified against source publication dates before posting
Evidence Standards
We use a visible evidence standard across all content:
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Confirmed | Official police, government, or court source |
| Reported | Reputable media source with named attribution |
| Community-reported | Not independently verified; offered as context |
| Analysis | Interpretation by the Alliance; clearly labeled as such |
All public content is reviewed before publication. We maintain editorial standards to ensure accuracy, safety, and cultural sensitivity.
Factual claims are checked against official or reputable sources before publication. Community guidance is reviewed for safety, clarity, and cultural appropriateness.
Our content review process:
- Draft created
- Fact-checked against official sources
- Reviewed for safety (does this help victims or criminals?)
- Reviewed for cultural sensitivity
- Approved for publication
- Published with date stamp
- Reviewed periodically and updated as needed
Our Commitment to Official Resources
We work alongside official resources, not instead of them.
We prominently link to:
Our role is to supplement - not replace - these resources with community-specific context, multilingual support, and peer connection.
Languages
We provide resources in:
- English
- Français
- ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi)
- हिन्दी (Hindi)
If able to help with translations or language review, contact us.
Partner With Us
We work with:
- Gurdwaras, mandirs, mosques, and places of worship
- Cultural associations and community organizations
- Settlement and immigrant services
- Mental health and counseling services
- Legal aid organizations
- Schools and youth organizations
Interested in partnering? Contact us →
Volunteer
We welcome volunteers who can help with:
- Translation and language review
- Community outreach
- Content research and fact-checking
- Workshop facilitation
Contact & Media Protocol
For general inquiries: info@stop-extortion.ca
For corrections: info@stop-extortion.ca with subject line “Correction” and the page URL
For media inquiries: media@stop-extortion.ca
For partnership inquiries: info@stop-extortion.ca or use the Contact page
For urgent victim support: Call 911 (immediate danger) or VictimLink: 1-800-563-0808 (24/7, 240+ languages)
We do not monitor email for emergencies. For urgent help, use the numbers above, not email.
To report extortion: Please use official reporting channels. We are not an official reporting body.
Privacy Policy
We take privacy seriously. Read our full privacy policy →
Summary:
- We don’t collect personal data unless voluntarily provided
-
We do not use advertising trackers or cookies
-
We may use privacy-preserving aggregate analytics to understand page use
- We do not identify visitors or track individual users
- We never share contact information with third parties
- We don’t store case details
Disclaimer
This website provides general educational information only. It is not legal advice. For legal questions, consult a lawyer or contact legal aid.
We are not affiliated with law enforcement or government agencies. We are a community resource.
If in immediate danger, call 911.
Accessibility & Safe Browsing
Quick Exit: Press the Escape key to immediately leave this site. However, your browser history may still show you visited this site. For maximum privacy, use your browser’s private/incognito mode.
Accessibility Standards:
- Colour contrast meets WCAG AA standards
- Full keyboard navigation
- Screen reader labels
- Language tags for all Punjabi and Hindi pages
- Plain-language reading level
- Mobile tap target size
- Printable pages
- Low-bandwidth loading
- No autoplay media
If you encounter accessibility issues, please contact us at info@stop-extortion.ca. We are committed to improving accessibility for all users, especially those who may be under threat and need rapid, discreet access.
Last reviewed: June 2026 · Next review: September 2026
Thank You
To the victims who have shared their experiences - your courage helps others.
To the community organizations already doing this work - we stand with you.
To everyone who believes that our communities deserve better - let’s build it together.
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