Gym goers warned after thief used victim’s locker code to hack into bank account
Gym goers have been warned not to use the same pin code for their lockers and bank cards after a man targeted luxury health clubs.
Declan Murphy, 35, stole £500 from one man in September 2024 after secretly watching him enter his gym locker code, and guessed it would be the same as his phone and bank card pins.
The man had only recently joined the gym after losing his wife to cancer and the theft increased the ‘sense of loneliness’ the man felt.
But Murphy still phoned his bank and pretended to be him and was given internet access to the bank accounts.
Murphy drenched the man’s phone in water to damage it, stopping him from accessing his banking app.
The man did notice a missed call from his bank but struggled to call back due to the damage.
On top of withdrawing the £500 from a cash machine, Murphy also unsuccessfully tried to buy £5,400 worth of items from an Apple store.
He also withdrew £1,750 of cash using three different bank cards stolen from a different gym, and used a separate stolen card to try and withdraw £600 in cash.
All people that were a victim to Murphy’s crimes were eventually compensated.
Murphy is £15,000 in debt, and stole the cards to try and pay off what he owes, a court heard.
He used membership cards under false names to access lockers at Third Space and Nuffield Health gyms.
This technique has been used by other criminals before and on Friday Murphy was jailed for two years and three months.
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He pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to three counts of theft and 11 counts of fraud by false representation.
Judge Edward Connell said his offending was ‘pre-planned’ and ‘well practiced’.
The judge said: ‘It seems your motivation has been financial having accumulated significant debts.’
Murphy was also handed a criminal behaviour order banning him from visiting any Third Space or Nuffield Health gyms for six years.
Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Ives said: ‘People who visit gyms expect their belongings to be safe in their lockers and don’t tend to expect anyone to be looking over their shoulder and stealing their pin.
‘Unfortunately, we know this is a method used by prolific criminals like Murphy.
‘Our message is clear, do not have the same pin code for your locker as your phone or bank card pins.’
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