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A mum who initially thought a set of X signs drawn on her car windows were pranks has now revealed what they really mean. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Laura Morgan at first thought the markings, which were two sets of different sized Xs, was simply children or teenagers messing around when she first discovered them back in October. However, the Liverpool driver started to grow concerned when she noticed they were only being drawn on in the ice which developed as temperatures dropped overnight.
She told the Echo: “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.”
Ms Morgan began to fear there was a sinister reason behind the crosses drawn onto her car. She shared the images with others, who said that the marks are a sign or code used among thieves and burglars to communicate with each other and indicate who to target.
The Merseyside mother has since urged other drivers to check their car windows in the morning for any bizarre markings.
The Safeguarding Hub – which shares home protection advice and information across the UK – suggested that Ms Morgan was right to take the symbols seriously.
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They previously told the Echo: “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?”
According to the so-called Da Pinchi Code, an ‘X’ means that the home is a “good target”, while a circle with an ‘X’ through it means it is not worth robbing.
In a chilling turn, people have also been warned that a triangle symbol could signal to other criminals that a single woman lives in the property on her own.
Other letters like ‘M’ supposedly tells other burglars to strike the morning, while ‘N’ means a night-time intrusion is best.
However, police have previously warned residents not to overreact to painted symbols outside their homes.
In 2016, South Worcestershire Police said a series of painted symbols claimed to help burglars target homes were actually “innocent and explainable”.
The police revealed that the symbols are in fact used by utility firms to indicate work required like kerb repairs.
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