Gym-goers are being warned not to use the same PIN code for their lockers and bank cards after a prolific thief targeted multiple gyms.
Declan Murphy, 35, stole £500 after secretly watching a man enter his locker code at a Third Space gym.
He guessed the code would be the same for his victim’s phones and bank cards, and broke into his accounts.
To buy himself time, he drenched the man’s phone in water and rendered it unusable, according to the City of London police force.
When the victim was eventually able to call his bank, he was told that Murphy had phoned pretending to be him and was given internet access to his bank accounts.
As well as stealing money straight from the account, Murphy attempted to buy £5,400 worth of items from an Apple store.
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“Unfortunately, we know this is a method used by prolific criminals like Murphy,” said Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Ives from the City of London Police.
“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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Murphy’s victim had only joined the gym after his wife died from cancer.
The court heard the theft increased his “sense of loneliness” as he grieved.
Murphy, a qualified carpenter and father of two, was using membership cards under false names to access Third Space and Nuffield Health gyms repeatedly, Isleworth Crown Court heard.
He withdrew £1,750 from a cash machine using bank cards stolen from another gym-going victim, as well as spending £92.06 at Zara on a different victim’s card.
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On Friday, he was jailed for two years and three months, having pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and 11 counts of fraud by false representation.
Murphy was also handed a criminal behaviour order banning him from visiting any Third Space or Nuffield Health gyms for six years.
