Jack Watkin, once a darling of social media and self-styled as the "Kardashian of Cheshire," is now behind bars after orchestrating a high-profile fraud that left friends, family, and business associates out of nearly £200,000. His glamorous Instagram persona, which boasted of luxury cars, five-star hotels, and a seemingly endless supply of designer goods, has been exposed as a carefully constructed façade—one built on deceit, manipulation, and a trail of shattered trust.
According to Sky News, the unraveling of Watkin’s scheme began with Christine Colbert, the owner of an upscale handbag shop in Prestbury, Cheshire. Colbert was approached by Watkin, then 22, who claimed he could source rare Hermès bags, some valued at over £32,000, thanks to his exclusive industry connections. "This is a guy of stature," Colbert recalled, "someone who has been investing in these bags for a long time, as a personal collection." She handed over tens of thousands of pounds for handbags and promised investments that never materialized.
For 18 months, Colbert was strung along by Watkin’s endless excuses, all while he continued to post images of his lavish lifestyle—luxury hotel stays, expensive jewelry, and high-end cars. The breaking point came when Colbert, frustrated and suspicious, took to Instagram to warn others. Her post quickly drew responses from other victims, revealing the true scale of Watkin’s deception. "It was shocking, but also a little bit of a relief—it wasn't just me—and that's when I realised this is huge. This is really big," she told Sky News.
Watkin’s fraudulent activities were not limited to Colbert. As Daily Mail reports, he persuaded friends, relatives—including his own father—and acquaintances to invest in his supposed designer handbag business. The promise? A share of the profits from buying and reselling exclusive Hermès bags, which often fetch higher prices on the secondary market. The reality? There were no handbags, no profits, and no intention to repay the mounting debts. Instead, Watkin funneled the money into his extravagant lifestyle, spending £1.2 million over two and a half years on luxury hotels, holidays, and designer goods. In just six months, he racked up a hotel bill of more than £136,000 and spent over £22,000 on chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce rides around London.
Watkin’s social media image was central to his scheme. He was featured in a 2016 Channel 4 documentary, Rich Kids Of Instagram, where he likened his family to the US Kardashian dynasty and boasted about a fleet of supercars and a mansion with a swimming pool in Alderley Edge. "My life is not easy. My dad has worked very hard to make sure I can have all these nice things. Our private jet doesn't just fly itself; our pool doesn't just clean itself; all my cars don't automatically fill themselves with petrol," a teenage Watkin declared in the program. But by 2019, following his parents’ separation and his father’s decision to cut him off financially, Watkin’s privileged world began to unravel.
Prosecutor Matthew Kerruish-Jones told Chester Crown Court that Watkin’s scam revolved around convincing investors he had a "personal relationship" with the director of Hermès, affording him special access to their coveted bags. He targeted not only wealthy acquaintances but also close friends and family. Businesswoman Christine Colbert lost £43,800, while his own father was defrauded out of almost £14,000. Barman Andor Farkas, another victim, lost around £14,000 after being promised a "financial return" if he allowed Watkin to use his credit card. Long-time friend Hannah Jakes was duped out of more than £98,500. In total, six victims were identified, with losses exceeding £195,000.
Colbert and Jakes eventually teamed up, determined to bring Watkin to justice. Their amateur sleuthing paid off. In a sting operation worthy of a crime novel, Jakes lured Watkin to a pub with the promise of a £30,000 Rolex watch. Police, tipped off by Colbert, lay in wait and arrested Watkin in the car park. Officers later discovered a trove of designer goods and clothes in his Knightsbridge storage unit, further evidence of his ill-gotten gains.
Watkin’s conviction extended beyond fraud. During the investigation, police seized his mobile phone and uncovered 637 indecent images, including 274 categorized as severely explicit involving minors. A second arrest in October 2024 at Macclesfield train station led to the discovery of additional indecent images on a new device. As el-Balad reported, Watkin was sentenced to a prison term and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years, with an accompanying Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
At sentencing, Judge Simon Berkson did not mince words: "You used an outward persona of someone who was wealthy and well connected in order to dupe victims with your fraudulent behaviour. You described yourself as a millionaire and talked about your knowledge of luxury products. You suggested you could be a person who could be trusted with other people's money. Your true motivation was to defraud people out of their money and spend it all on yourself."
The emotional toll on Watkin’s victims was profound. In her victim impact statement, Colbert described feeling "ashamed, embarrassed, stupid and sick." She recounted sleepless nights, humiliation, and the exhausting "cat and mouse" chase to recover her losses. "He preyed on my good nature as a hardworking individual…taking my savings, taking my personal handbags, as well as handbags from my shop," she said, adding, "This whole experience has left me broken." Farkas, meanwhile, was left in "dire" financial straits, struggling to pay rent and meet basic needs.
Detective Constable Gareth Yates, who led the investigation for Cheshire Constabulary, told Daily Mail: "Jack Watkin built a lifestyle on social media, on Instagram, and that lifestyle is one of exuberance. He often described himself as the Kardashian of Cheshire. If anyone was to look at that profile, they would see fancy hotels, luxury cars, designer clothing. He created a following, and that following allowed him to create a ruse to be the fraudster we now know." Yates added that the true scale of Watkin’s offending likely runs into the millions, suggesting many more victims may still be out there.
Watkin’s defense cited a history of Asperger’s syndrome, anxiety, and emotional immaturity, with references to adolescent mental health struggles and a "fantasy world" since his teens. But for the court and his victims, these factors did little to soften the impact of his calculated deception.
As the dust settles, the case of Jack Watkin stands as a stark warning about the dangers of online personas and the very real consequences of misplaced trust. For those who fell for his ruse, the scars—financial and emotional—are likely to linger long after the headlines fade.
