FRAUDSTERS had conned £63 million out of North West business bosses and investors, putting the region third in a nationwide league of shame.
The number of large scale frauds had doubled over the previous five years in Britain.
The crooks who fleeced fortunes over £100,000 were concentrated in the south of England. But the North West had the highest figures outside the south.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article