Fraudster who made £86k in fake Rolex scam jailed
Hertfordshire PoliceA man who made more than £86,000 selling counterfeit Rolex watches has been jailed for two years and four months.
Christopher Mancini advertised genuine Rolex watches on eBay between 2021 and 2023, but convinced victims to complete transactions outside the platform by trading cash with him in person.
One victim traded a genuine Rolex watch, valued at £12,000, as part of a purchase.
The 39-year-old from Vesta Close, Milton Keynes, was found guilty of five counts of fraud and jailed for two years and four months at St Albans Crown Court on 9 April.
The five victims came from London, Essex, Liverpool, Scotland and Buckinghamshire.
As the cash exchanges took place in public, where they were captured on CCTV, they were not protected by eBay's safeguards.
Mancini used fake ID, counterfeit paperwork and packaging to deceive his victims.
Det Con Liz McGrath said: "Mancini was so brazen that he met his victims in person. Unknown to the buyers, the watches and packaging they purchased were counterfeit.
"The sentence reflects the serious and persistent nature of Mancini's offending and we will also be applying to compensate the victims through proceeds of crime legislation."
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