Email scamming is considered by many to be a penny ante fraud. But it’s also the specialty of a dangerous criminal syndicate known as the Black Axe which relies on violence and intimidation to ruin lives, according to this article in the Globe and Mail.

“Several Toronto-area residents have been defrauded of at least $1-million each in the past two years, and police allege the money was wired with the help of Canadian residents linked to the Black Axe, and sometimes it was handed to the group’s associates in person,” the article says. “The recipients then sent the money ricocheting through bank accounts around the globe, with trusted members in countries on every continent helping with the transfers before it disappeared.”

It’s required reading for anyone who thinks fraud is a minor crime.