According to the Met, around 2,500 people a year file a report
with the police that their mobile has been stolen, when in fact it
has simply been lost. This false reporting is not only a crime in
itself, but wastes police time and diverts attention away from
genuine victims and criminals.
According to Commander Brian Moore, of the Met's Territorial
Policing Crime Directorate, "many people who falsely report their
mobile phone as stolen don't think they are in fact committing a
crime and don't think about the consequences."
He warned that false false reports can over-inflate the levels
of robbery in London and make the public feel unsafe to be on the
streets. "My message is clear," said Commander Moore, "falsely
reporting anything to police is a crime and we will deal with
you."
