olice are investigating the theft of thousands of pounds from women’s bank accounts after their cards and phones were taken from gym lockers. A mystery fraudster is suspected of lifting items from gyms across London, before shelling out thousands in luxury stores including Selfridges, Harrods and the Apple Store. The elaborate scam saw the women lose up to £10,000, with their bank accounts stripped of life savings while they exercise. In a Twitter thread, a woman named Charlotte told of the “nightmare” experience that left her financially and mentally “broken”. Charlotte was at a Virgin Active gym in London on August 24 when someone broke into her locker and stole her backpack, which contained her phone, bank card and key.
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The thief then reset her Santander online banking details and transferred thousands of her life savings into her current account, before going on a shopping spree. They spent £3,000 at the Apple Store in Westfield and then another £1,000 at Apple in Regent Street. They then headed to Selfridges, where another £700 worth of items went to the cemetery. Santander flagged it as fraud, but the fraudster was able to approve the transaction. Charlotte said two fellow gym goers also had their phones, money and keys stolen from their lockers. Scotland Yard says it is investigating “a number of similar offences”, but declined to say how many. At least seven other women from London told a BBC investigation they had been targeted in similar incidents. Speaking to Radio 4’s You and Yours consumer affairs programme, a woman named Alina told how her belongings were stolen from a Virgin gym in Finchley Road last month. The thief spent around £10,000 at the Apple Store in Harrods and Covent Garden. They then tried to spend a further £10,000 but Alinah had by then blocked her cards. They also spent her money on food and taxi trips and withdrew cash from ATMs. Another woman named Harriet told the BBC how she was targeted at GymBox on Lombard Street in the city. Within 90 minutes of raiding her cupboard, the thief had spent £7,500 in luxury stores Selfridges, Harrods, Balenciaga and Apple. It is believed that the thief is likely to be a woman as they are able to repeatedly access the women’s changing rooms without arousing suspicion. The BBC contacted the Met Police about its findings and the force is now investigating whether the cases – some of which were previously closed – could be linked. A Met Police spokesman said: “We have been made aware of a number of similar offenses where property has been stolen from gym lockers and bank cards and then used to make fraudulent purchases. “Each offense is now being reassessed and where appropriate, they will be investigated as part of a linked series. “Victims in all cases will be contacted by officers and kept informed as the investigation progresses. “Anyone with information or who believes they have suffered a similar burglary should call the police on 101.”
