A woman admitted lying about having cancer.

She collected hundreds of thousands of pounds from her husband, family, friends and even members of the public for life-saving treatment in America.

She told police she did not know why she had lied.

What did she do?

Jasmin Mistry received just over £250,000 from her ex-husband, his family and members of the public after telling them she had cancer and needed the money for life-saving treatments.

The 36-year-old from Mallard Road, Loughborough, kept up the deception over a two-year period between 2015-2017.

How did she do it?

She first told her husband that she had cancer in 2013. She showed him a Whatsapp message sent by what he thought was her doctor. It was actually sent by her, using a different SIM card.

At the end of December 2014, she told her partner that she had brain cancer and had six months to live, with further messages from another fictitious doctor suggesting that it could be treated in America – at a cost of around £500,000.

Her former husband then contacted family and friends to ask for donations.

This is a bizarre, shocking case. Our investigation revealed the scale of the fraud and the severity of the offending which has resulted in a substantial custodial sentence. DC Jon Bounds from East Area CID

Mistry also defrauded a man she met through a dating website out of nearly £7,500, and two members of the public to whom she lied about being a trader who could invest their money, and who gave her around £10,000.

How was she caught?

Mistry’s ex-husband became suspicious when a friend of his saw a picture of a brain scan she claimed was of her condition.

He found the image on Google, and said that the tumour was so severe that it would be fatal for the person with it.

He discovered Sim cards Mistry used to send messages pretending to be other people, and when confronting her she admitted that she had lied.

Police were contacted in November 2017, and Mistry was arrested. When interviewed, Mistry confirmed to officers that she was not terminally ill, and that she did not know why she had lied.

Her finances were reviewed, and it was found that 20 members of her extended family and eight others were found to have given her money.

The total fraud amount was calculated as £253,122.

What do police say?

I am glad for the victims of this deceit that they have seen justice. DC Jon Bounds from East Area CID

She was sentenced to four years in jail on Friday, 14 December for fraud by false representation, after pleading guilty on 24 October.