A pensioner raked in £8,000 in fraudulent benefit claims while living in Turkey - and pretending to still be in Scunthorpe.
Terence Carolan, 83, fiddled the pension credit payments over a six years period, before handing himself in and returning to the UK.
Carolan had been enjoying a sunny life abroad in Turkey between July 2012 and February last year.
However, he gave his address as that of his daughter in Scunthorpe - but this was simply a postal address.
Carolan contacted the authorities in August last year to say that he had made a false claim and that he had lived in Turkey since 2008 but had not declared this.
He admitted that he had received annual letters which were sent to his daughter's address and that he had made false statements in two telephone calls, reports Grimsby Live.
Rebecca Dolby, prosecuting, told Grimsby's Magistrates' Court: "The pension credit claim was cancelled on the basis that he was not resident in the UK."
He claimed that he had forgotten about the matter and this was "down to his age".
Carolan contacted the authorities in August last year to say that he had made a false claim and that he had lived in Turkey since 2008 but had not declared this.
He admitted that he had received annual letters which were sent to his daughter's address and that he had made false statements in two telephone calls.
"The pension credit claim was cancelled on the basis that he was not resident in the UK," said Miss Dolby.
He claimed that he had forgotten about the matter and this was "down to his age".
Mr Rix said Carolan committed the fraud because market conditions were not good in Turkey at the time and he needed some money.
"It was a foolish mistake," said Mr Rix. "It was a very stupid thing to do. There has been no messing around. There was no hiding place.
"There has been no loss to the public exchequer. He has had to come back. If you defraud the public purse, that's the price you pay."
Presiding magistrate Bob Munday said: "This has gone on for a long period of time and it was quite a considerable sum approaching £8,000.
"Yes, you have paid the money back but it was committed over a long period of time."
Carolan was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence but with no requirements and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a Government-imposed £115 victims' surcharge.
