Police have warned they will come down hard on anyone inventing fictitious robberies after a rise in the number of claims.
They issued the warning after giving a woman an on-the-spot fine over one bogus claim. They are currently investigating two other potentially fictitious muggings.
The woman said she had been robbed of £500-worth of jewellery, in November in Cowley, Oxford.
But it turned out she had in fact lost the valuables and decided to tell police she was mugged so that she could claim money on her insurance. She was given an £80 fine by officers.
A 14-year-old boy is at the centre of another police investigation after alleging he was robbed in Turl Street, Oxford, while another schoolboy is to be questioned by officers over a claim he was threatened and robbed in Barns Road, Cowley.
See tomorrow's Oxford Mail for the full story.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article