A terrified mum has issued a warning after claiming she consistently discovered unexplained 'X' markings on her car windows which she now believes to be a form of communication between thieves. Laura Morgan from Wallasey said she first found the marks on her car about two months ago but she initially thought they were just being drawn by kids, the Mirror reports.
However, she was horrified to discover a much more sinister meaning behind the symbols after a home protection company and a security firm revealed that they are drawings used amongst robbers. The images she shared show two crosses drawn next to one another on the window of her car which had been parked on a road.
The markings are believed to be some form of criminal activity code which allows thieves to signify if a property is worthy of breaking into or not. The symbols which Laura claims to have only received in the middle of the night also communicates whether or not the person or family inside are an easy target or not based on their vulnerability.
Laura said : "It took almost two months for me to even realise what was happening, I thought it was kids at first, but it was happening between the hours of 10pm and 6am." Earlier this year, the Mirror reported that some robbers use a 'code' in markings to communicate things about a property.
For example, an X means that the house is a 'good target' while a circle with an X through it signifies that there is nothing worthy of stealing. The Safeguarding Hub which provides home protection advice and information across Britain - previously said: "Between us, we have a fairly extensive knowledge of burglary.
"We have spent many hours speaking to distraught victims, visiting crime scenes and dealing with burglars. We have actually seen and experienced these symbols being used by criminals.
"This is not to say that this is a common practice between bands of thieves, for most burglars work alone. We do not want to scaremonger and we can say confidentially that the use of these symbols is very rare.
"But, if you are a caregiver to an elderly or vulnerable person and spot strange marks outside their home, do you really want to dismiss it out of hand without just ensuring that the symbol is legitimate?" The security firm, Keytek also confirmed that: "These ‘robbery markings’ or ‘burglar signals’ are basic sketches and forms that are supposedly used as a ‘code’ to determine whether a house is worth targeting.
"These illustrations are also supposed to indicate to other thieves what type of person lives at the property, such as whether the residents are vulnerable, elderly, or live in a single-family home. Chalk is the main material burglars use as it is easily removed and not as noticeable as materials such as spray paint markings outside the house.
"As well as burglar chalk signs, burglars mark houses with almost anything they can; it may be a small blob of paint or a piece of string tied around a lamppost."
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