Terrifying Phone Threats Target Asian-American Business Owners, Professionals

May 19, 2009— -- Asian-American business owners and professionals across the country have been terrorized by threatening phone calls originating in China using Skype, authorities say. Some of the recipients have wired thousands of dollars to the extortionists after receiving threats of violence against their businesses and families.

The perpetrator demands $20,000-$30,000 so that his brother can be released from a jail in China, then threatens the victim if he or she will not pay.

"I will kill you," "I will cut the limbs off your children in front of you," and "I'll firebomb your business," are three of the threats that detectives said were used.

New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, New Jersey and Toronto have been hit by the calls, according to law enforcement authorities.Investigators in San Francisco said the extortionists told some of the victims to wire the money to Western Union accounts.

Detective Jameson Pon of the San Francisco Police Department said authorities estimate that more than $100,000 from across the United States and Canada has been wired to the accounts.

But, said Pon, the transfers are virtually untraceable at this time because fake identification cards were likely used to set up the accounts and to obtain transaction numbers.

"We don't know which Western Union branch in China is being used. If you have the manpower for fixed surveillance in China you could likely catch the culprit," said Pon.

Western Union said the company works closely with law enforcement officials, where appropriate, to help protect consumers and generate awareness of the many scams that take advantage of unsuspecting individuals. "Our company provides a fast, convenient and reliable way for consumers to send money to people they know and trust," a spokesman said.

Victims have been terrified. One victim, a prominent businesswoman in San Francisco's Chinatown who did not want to her name to be made public, told ABC News' San Francisco affiliate KGO that she was "very scared" by the call: "He started to say he was with the mafia and he said his members were around my office," she told KGO.

The callers have targeted an array of business owners and professionals. Attorneys, doctors, restaurant owners, accountants and acupuncturists all have been terrorized, according to police.

Police in both New York and San Francisco say they believe that one gang made up of four or five individuals is responsible. Detective Pon said he can hear people talking in the background during one call that was recorded. He said the latest caller to a San Francisco victim was female.

The extortionists have occasionally run into a language barrier. Investigators in San Francisco said roughly half of the victims are Cantonese speakers (who come mostly from southern China) and the caller becomes frustrated when the victims do not understand his threats in Mandarin (the official language of China).

In New York City there have been approximately 75 reported victims of the calls, according to police. No one from New York reported having sent any money through the wires to the extortionist. Approximately 50 victims reported calls in San Francisco.

Police say that so far no one has been harmed.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Asian Organized Crime Squad in involved in the case, according to police officials.

The FBI would not confirm or deny an investigation, as is customary, but said they are aware of the nationwide attempt to extort business-owners - mostly people of Asian descent - and encourage any victim of this type of threat to report it to local authorities.

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