CROOK: FRANCOIS
A DONEGAL-based crook exposed by Donegal Daily had reeled in an astonishing 576 investors.
Figures released by liquidators PriceWaterhouseCoopers now show that 187 of them have never come forward to claim back the millions they gave to Francois de Dietrich, the conman and convicted French fraudster.
He ran a Ponzi scheme from offices in Ballybofey, until we exposed his so-called investment scheme was a fraud.
He had offered victims returns of up to 40 per cent on their investments.
PwC has revealed that:
* There were 576 individuals who gave De Dietrich cash
* They paid in €24Million
* 187 investors never came forward to claim their money back
* 389 investors did come forward and will get just 20c back on each euro they invested
* 81 people DID make money on the scheme, pocketing €7.2M between them.
* 250 people from Donegal gave de Dietrich cash during the life of the scheme, most losing out.
* investors included people from the world of GAA, solicitors, gardai, teachers and people involved in the media.
The crook is wanted by Gardai here and the PSNI in the North for questioning about fraud.
He is also on the run from the Northern authorities after refusing to declare where his worldwide assets are.
It’s understood several of the Donegal investors were among those who shared in the scheme and did make money.
The liquidators found that there was no evidence whatsoever that de Dietrich had invested the monies anywhere.
He simply paid out to those at the top of the pyramid-style scheme with money from people coming in at the bottom.
