FRAUD cases in the North-west were worth £69 million in 2002 compared with £25.2m the year before.
The second half of 2002 alone saw five major reported frauds across the region, amounting to £20.3m, KPMG reports.
VAT and other tax frauds accounted for more than 40 per cent of the total frauds by value of case.
Richard Powell, head of forensic investigations for KPMG in the North, said: "The huge increases in both the number of fraud cases is extremely worrying.
"It demonstrates that companies are failing to take the issue of fraud prevention seriously enough."
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