A WOMAN used people’s identities to make fraudulent claims about cancelled holidays and illnesses abroad.

Danielle Madrid, 26, stole personal details from a man and pretended his holiday had been cancelled following the death of his father.

This was a lie, and she claimed over £1,000 for the cancellation through an insurance company using his identity. When the insurance firm contacted his victim, he confirmed he hadn’t made the claim or planned a trip abroad.

Madrid was found to have taken his personal details from the customer database of an old employer.

Prosecuting, Ryan Murray said on another occasion Madrid contacted an insurance company using a different woman’s details.

She claimed she had been on a trip to America and caught an infection, and sought £410 in medical fees.

However, this was investigated as the policy did not cover what the defendant was claiming for.

When the victim was contacted, she confirmed she hadn’t been to America or been sick.

In a third incident, Madrid called an insurance company using her own name.

She said she had an upcoming trip to the Philippines which had been arranged by her father, but had to cancel as he had died.

The defendant was asked to complete the relevant forms, but these were never received.

Madrid, of Christchurch Road in Bournemouth, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Tuesday, October 24, having been found guilty of three counts of fraud by a jury.

The incidents happened four years prior to the sentencing, when Madrid was 22.

The court heard how Madrid had begun working for Charles Taylor Services - a company providing a range of insurance services - while she was studying at university.

She was there for a few months, and during the training period, she copied customers’ details into a notebook.

These details were then used to make the fraudulent claims.

Madrid has no previous convictions but does have a previous caution for theft from an employer.

Mitigating, Andrew Houston said: “She was very young at the time this took place. She was only 22.“The offence is now four years old. She has had four years effectively waiting for today.”

He added that his client had been working hard in a new job for the last eight months.

Recorder Richard Onslow said: “You used the details of a woman. If you had read the policy a little more carefully, you’d have known the policy of the unknowing woman did not cover what you were claiming for.

“It was only because of that, that you weren’t paid the £410.

“You then used the details of a man. Once again, you were trying to claim money, and once again you hadn’t done your research. You abused the position you were in, and you abused the fact that you had taken details of existing customers. You have a new job and I have been reassured that it doesn’t have anything to do with finance. If it did, it could put temptation in your pathway again.”

Madrid was handed a two-year community order.