Issaquah police are warning Eastside gymgoers to treat the locker room like a hot spot after a recent run of thefts in both changing areas and parking lots. Thieves have been slipping wallets, phones and car keys out of gym lockers, then in some cases using those keys to steal the owners’ cars right out of the lot. Officers are telling members to bring only the bare essentials and to keep their keys on them while they work out.
According to the Issaquah Police Department, people are urged to “not bring anything of value to the gym that you cannot keep on your person while working out,” including car keys, wallets, credit cards, IDs and phones. The department also warned that thieves have been known to watch people park, see where valuables are hidden, then head inside to hit the lockers.
Crime Blotter Ties Locker Thefts To Fraud And Stolen Cars
The city’s weekly crime blotter, posted May 7, 2026, backs up the warning. On May 1, officers say a suspect tried to buy gold at a Costco using a credit card that was allegedly taken from a gym locker, and earlier entries describe vehicles stolen after keys were lifted from lockers. The pattern led officials to note that crews sometimes swipe cards and IDs from lockers and quickly use them for fraud. According to the City of Issaquah crime blotter, residents should secure valuables and report anything that looks suspicious.
Bellevue Cases Show Gym Lockers Are A Favorite Target
Bellevue detectives have previously arrested suspects linked to gym locker break-ins who then used stolen cards and keys for quick fraud and vehicle thefts, KIRO reported. In those investigations, officers recovered cut padlocks, bolt cutters and evidence of purchases made just minutes after lockers were rifled.
How The Locker Room Scam Works
Investigators say the tactics range from simple grabs of unattended bags to bolder moves where suspects cut or pick locks to reach wallets and keys. Experts are also warning about relay and key-programming tools that can start some vehicles without the original key fob, a trend that has helped drive recent spikes in auto thefts. The key-cloning problem has surfaced in other cities and underscores why carrying keys into the gym matters even more than it used to, according to reporting by the Star Tribune.
What You Can Do To Lock Down Your Workout
Police say the basics still work: bring only what you absolutely need, keep wallets and keys on your person, and do not leave valuables in your car. The City of Issaquah blotter echoes that guidance and suggests using your own lock if you have to leave items in a locker. For those worried about relay or cloning attacks on key fobs, some police agencies and security experts recommend storing fobs in a signal-blocking Faraday pouch or metal container when they are not on you. Guidance from Nottinghamshire Police highlights these pouches as a low-cost precaution. In every case, officials say you should file a police report and contact your bank or card issuer quickly if cards are stolen or used fraudulently.
If you have been targeted, Issaquah police ask that you report the theft so detectives can connect the dots between cases and spot patterns. See the Issaquah Police Department Facebook post for the original warning and the city’s blotter for ongoing updates.
