A thief in Bromley has been stealing bank cards from gym lockers, prompting police to issue a warning to gym-goers about their security.
This guy figured out that many folks use the same four-digit PIN for their lockers and bank cards. On September 13, he watched a guy open his locker at a gym near Fenchurch Street Station. Then, he sneaked in, grabbed the bank card, and even soaked the guy’s phone to mess it up.
His plan? To keep the victim from checking his banking app or seeing any alerts about the transactions. When the guy finally got his phone working, he found out Murphy had called the bank pretending to be him and got access to his accounts.
Murphy went on to spend £18 at a local shop, pulled out £500 from an ATM, and even tried to buy £5,400 worth of stuff from an Apple store, but thankfully that last one didn’t go through.
City of London Police are now urging everyone to use different PINs for their bank cards and lockers. Murphy, who lives in Bromley, was already on bail for other thefts when he pulled this stunt.
He was caught on CCTV at the gym and later withdrew £1,750 using stolen cards from another gym. He also stole from another victim and tried to withdraw more cash.
In the end, he pleaded guilty to multiple theft and fraud charges and got sentenced to two years and three months in jail. He’s also banned from entering certain gyms across the country.
Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Ives said it’s crucial for gym-goers to keep their belongings safe and not use the same PIN for everything. He thanked the victims for coming forward and praised the police team for their hard work in catching Murphy.
