Man jailed for £130k transatlantic tractor scam

A fraudster involved in a transatlantic tractor scam worth more than £130,000 has been jailed, from High Street, Dudley, in the West Midlands, was jailed for one year and nine months for the fraud at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 8 November.

In March 2020, Ciceu, who ran a transport firm, was approached to ship a tractor from Europe to Canada.

See also: Tips for avoiding scams when buying used farm machinery online

Augustin-Paul Ciceu © West Midlands Police

He then offered two additional tractors for sale, which were paid for by the Canadian purchaser.

However, Ciceu – who referred to himself as “Gus” during trade dealings – never sent the tractors, and the equipment did not even exist.

He was convicted of fraud by false representation and theft after deceiving the buyer with fake videos and fraudulent claims. He refused to give evidence in his trial.

Police are now seeking to seize his ill-gotten gains under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

No stone left unturned

Det Con Ash Forster, who led the investigation for West Midlands Police, said Ciceu tricked the trader into purchasing tractors he did not even have to sell, and claimed it was a business transaction that was never completed.

“This was a complex investigation and we worked with the victim, who travelled over from Canada for the trial, to build a convincing case. We will leave no stone unturned to convict criminals,” added the detective.