Benefits cheat who swindled £30,000 by claiming she was a single mother was caught because she updated her relationship status on Facebook

Denise Lonie (pictured), from Dundee, was found out after changing her Facebook status to say she was with partner Graeme Heatherwick (inset). DWP bosses examined the pair's bank accounts and council data before establishing that the pair lived and even holidayed together. Lonie now faces jail for falsely claiming £30,000 in benefits.

It is the most modern of ways to let the world know you have fallen in – or even out – of love.

But Denise Lonie’s Facebook status update had the undesired side effect of bringing her benefits scam falling about her ears.

The 37-year-old, who lied to benefits officials that she was a single mother so she could claim £30,000 in handouts, was rumbled by her Facebook relationship status.

And yesterday she was facing prison over the fraud.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that she informed the Department of Work and Pensions she had split from partner Graeme Heatherwick – despite the pair living together with their children at their home in Dundee.

For more than four years she hid their relationship from benefits bosses so she could claim Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, with the couple taking family holidays and sharing household expenses.

Fiscal depute Nicola Gillespie told the court that an investigation started after the DWP received information that Lonie was not a single mother, as she had claimed.

She said: ‘There were various checks through banks and other establishments such as the council.

‘They appeared to show that Mr Heatherwick resided at her address. His bank account was registered at that address, as was his credit card.

‘He was down as an emergency contact with the school, and the address was given as her address. Checks were then done on her Facebook account which showed her as in a relationship with him.

‘There were photos of holidays taken, and comments by him with her saying things like “sitting on the patio with the missus”. He was interviewed by the DWP and said he lived with her and their two children.

‘They had been living together since 2005 but split briefly in 2009 before reconciling.

By updating her Facebook status to 'In a relationship', Lonie blew her cover as a so called single mother

‘She was interviewed in December 2013 and said she had been “stupid” and knew it was her responsibility.’

Lonie, of Fintry, Dundee, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of being knowingly concerned in a fraudulent activity with a view to obtaining tax credits to which she was not entitled.

This is a serious and significant offence

Sheriff Lorna Drummond, QC

Defence lawyer Jim Laverty said: ‘The court will require background reports in this matter before sentencing.’

Sheriff Lorna Drummond, QC, deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and released Lonie on bail meantime.

She said: ‘This is a serious and significant offence totalling £30,000.

‘The court has custody at the forefront of its mind with a significant amount of money involved like that.’