FRAUD cases are on the rise according to accountants.
In the North West 12 cases of major fraud involving more than £100,000 each were brought through the courts in 1999.
The total value of the frauds in the region -- which included the Blackburn family who defrauded insurance companies and benefit agencies, was £11.8million.
"The upward trend has been a source of concern for some time," said Richard Powell, head of KPMG's fraud investigation services in the region. "However convictions in the high profile cases can both deter potential frausters and also encourage management that it is worth taking action when they suspect they are victims of fraud
"Increasingly I see companies equipped to take the risk of fraud seriously and to move swiftly on fraud suspicions."
Across the county there were 72 reported major frauds totalling £667million last year -- more than double the figure for 1998. It is the fourth year in succession that there has been a significant increase.
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