'Cartel' death threats, photos of 'severed human body parts' and guns used in B.C. texting scam

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After weeks of warning about a scam targeting grandparents, Mounties in British Columbia are seeing a darker extortion plot emerging in the province.

For some time, police have been warning elderly residents to be wary of callers claiming a young relative is in jail and in need of bail money. B.C. seniors have in some cases given up tens of thousands of dollars before realizing they'd been targeted by scammers.

But on Tuesday, RCMP officers warned that a new phone scam is circulating.

Police in Merritt said these scammers are texting or calling victims, telling them they know their victims attempted to hire sex workers and demanding large sums of money.

The calls are at random, and do not necessarily target those who actually have hired sex workers, or tried to.

"In all reports, the scammers did not know the victims' names or locations and it was clearly a random act to illicit money from them," the Merritt RCMP said in a news release.

The scammers take the extortion attempts even further, warning the victims the "cartel" will kill them if they don't comply, the RCMP said.

It's unclear whether those behind the scam actually name a cartel or give any further details.

In some cases, police said, the scammers have gone so far as to send photos of "severed human body parts" through text messages. They've also sent photos of guns in an effort to scare victims into handing over the money.

Police say anyone who gets one of these calls or texts should block the number immediately, and then report it.

"Please do not send money in any form, whether that be electronic money transfer, gift cards, cheques or money orders," Const. Ed Query said in the RCMP statement.

"If you ever feel you need to send money to clear a debt or avoid arrest, please call your local police and seek clarification first."