A watch dealer who defrauded his victims out of more than £1m has been jailed for just over five years.
Adam Moore-Lynch ran Manchester Watch Hub based on King Street in the city centre and promised to sell on clients’ high-value watches while taking a seller’s cut.
Instead, he sold the watches, some worth up to £120,000, and kept the money for himself – the total losses were around £1.2m.
Moore-Lynch aged 28, of St Andrews Crescent, Dumbarton, pleaded guilty to fraud, converting criminal property and carrying out a business with intent to defraud creditors.
An investigation by officers from GMP’s Economic and Cyber Crime Unit (ECCU) started in January 2024 when Moore-Lynch was arrested.
A thorough investigation followed with analysis of almost 50 victims’ bank accounts and mobile devices.
Detective Constable Michelle Wilkinson, of GMP’s Complex Fraud Investigation team, said: “Although the sentence imposed will provide a degree of closure for the victims, it is recognised that this outcome remains overshadowed by the significant financial and emotional loss they continue to endure.
“The watches have not been recovered, and it is highly likely they were subsequently sold to unsuspecting buyers, which further complicates efforts to recover the victims’ property.”
