Miss Wandelt said she was not attracted to Madeleine’s case for fame or financial gain.
“I just wanted to find out who I am,” she said.
The defendant said she discovered Operation Grange – the Metropolitan Police investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance – and got in touch with them in 2022.
She sent an email stating “I think I could be Madeleine McCann”, the court heard, and told investigators that her date of birth was in 2001, but said “documents can be faked”.
Miss Wandelt told the court she wanted to try to get in touch with “everyone I could think of” before contacting the McCann family.
“In general, if someone’s child is missing I would assume it would be upsetting to raise a lead which could result as a false hope at the end,” she said.
“I wanted to try everything before getting in touch with the parents of Madeleine directly.
“I didn’t want to give them false hope or cause them any distress.”
When asked why she did eventually contact the McCann family, the defendant said she thought they had been “misled”.
“The police were not interested in finding Kate and Gerry’s daughter,” she added.
Karen Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, faces the same charge, which she also denies.
The trial continues.