A woman has been fined for claiming her phone was stolen when she had in fact sold it.

On August 28, Amanda Bennett, of Bentley Way, Woodford Green, was given a 12-month conditional discharge and fined £190 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to wasting police time and fraud by false representation.

The 27-year-old called police in July and claimed her iPhone 5 had been stolen on a Tube train between Liverpool Street and Woodford.

British Transport Police Detective Constable Martin Wilson said: “Using the latest technology and partnership investigations, I was able to trace the phone to a gadget shop in Ilford.

“After talking to shop staff, it became clear that far from being the victim of theft, Ms Bennett had, in fact, pawned the phone the previous month.

“I later discovered that Ms Bennett had also contacted her insurance company and made a claim for compensation, saying her iPhone had been stolen.

“You will regret trying to con your insurer out of money when police officers arrive at your front door to arrest you for fraud.

“The prospect of a fine and a criminal record are very real and I would urge honest members of the public not to be tempted into committing criminal offences.

“Insurance is there to protect you if the worse happens, it is not a savings scheme or a way to upgrade your phone.”

In the past year, detectives have fined 16 people in London for wasting police time after they maliciously reported the theft of their mobile or tablet, when they either still had the device or had sold it privately.

Mark Allan, Manager of Fraud and Financial Crime, at the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said: “It is a myth that insurance fraud is a victimless crime.

“The ABI estimates that fraud adds, on average, an extra £50 a year to the insurance bill for every UK household.

“Some people may think they can get a quick payout by faking the theft of their mobile phone, but they will pay in the long run, facing a criminal record, higher premiums and difficulty getting insurance and other financial products in the future.”