Urgent Warning to Gym-Goers as Thieves Target Lockers in City
Police alert gym members about a rise in locker thefts linked to bank fraud
City of London, UK, Gym Theft, Bank Fraud, Declan Murphy
City of London: Police are sounding the alarm for gym-goers after a thief, Declan Murphy, was caught stealing from lockers. He was sentenced to over two years in jail for his crimes.
Murphy and others have been watching people enter their locker codes. They then break in and steal valuables, often using the same codes for bank accounts, which leads to serious fraud.
Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Ives is urging everyone to use different codes for their lockers and bank cards. He pointed out that gym-goers expect their stuff to be safe, but that’s not always the case.
Murphy, 35, targeted high-end gyms, like Third Space, where he watched a man enter his code. He then broke into the locker, knowing the code would likely match the victim’s bank PIN.
After stealing the man’s information, Murphy pretended to be him to access his bank account. He even damaged the victim’s phone to prevent him from using his banking app.
The victim, who had just lost his wife to cancer, felt even more isolated after the theft. Murphy used fake membership cards to sneak into gyms repeatedly.
In court, it was revealed that Murphy was in deep debt and committed these crimes to pay it off. He was found guilty of multiple thefts and frauds.
Judge Edward Connell described Murphy’s actions as “well planned” and “pre-practiced.” He was also banned from visiting certain gyms for six years as part of his sentence.