Expensive necklaces and bracelets from Tiffany and Co, based in Sloane Square, were targeted by 25-year-old Daniel Wade during a 10-month scam.

Wade paid for the goods over the internet using stolen credit card details from January to October 2007.

Wade admitted 25 counts of obtaining goods by false representation, and was sentenced to a year in prison at Kingston Crown Court on Friday.

But these offences only came to light when Wade was found to be running a similar scam at Links of London, also in Sloane Square, in February 2008.

Police searched his house in Lady Margaret Road, Islington, where they found invoices for £10,915 worth of Tiffany jewellery which had been sent to several addresses.

Geoffrey Sullivan, prosecuting, said: "He was asked about the Tiffany receipts, and whether they had been bought with a fraudulent credit card. He said 'yes'.

"It transpired that they related to goods purchased over the internet fraud-ulently.

"A large-scale and organised internet fraud was uncovered."

Tiffany billed the genuine credit card-holders, as the correct confirmation details were supplied on the internet.

When they confirmed the transactions were fraudulent, the money was returned to the cardholders.

John Madden, defending, said: "In his favour, he fully accepts what he has done and is remorseful about it.

"He cares for his father who has had prostate cancer and is disabled and he sees him every day and offers him considerable support."

While on police bail for the Tiffany frauds, Wade committed 11 further fraud offences which he asked to be taken into consideration by the judge.

Passing sentence Judge John Crocke said: "Tiffany alone lost nearly £11,000. You have asked me to take into consideration further frauds totalling £4,725.

"The reason these fraud offences continued is because you found it easy. If it's so easy, it has got to be deterred. I take into account your age and your previous convictions. Only custody can be appropriate."

Inspector Sean Flynn, of Chelsea police station, who headed the investigation, said: "This has been a long, protracted inquiry which has taken 18 months to get to this stage.

"It was not a one-off, it was someone who had committed this type of crime over a long period of time.

"I'm satisfied with the result, which is a fair reflection of the protracted nature of this crime."