Warning...look out for these symbols!

pulliptears

sarahg1969 wrote: »

Operation Litotes, a distraction burglary operation (ended in 2005).

http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/boguscaller/boguscaller22.htm

Yep, spoke to OH who tells me that the symbols have made a recent reappearance hence the email.

hollydays

My OH bought some tea towels-that sort of tat-foolishly- from a doorstep seller.

A few months later got a visit from a variant of that scam-he had some kind of speech defect.I was supposed to believe he was disabled " new to this ",he had "just sold some stuff to my neighbour" "a group of them were out because they wanted to work" blah blah blah.

I asked to see his hawkers licence (with the chain on the door) obviously he "didn't know about that" and cleared off-fast..When i went outside a few minutes later he was nowhere to be seen.I suspect they had made a note of our house number and put uson a "suckers list".Surely that is what they would do? its just word of mouth (and a notepad)?

MothballsWallet

Sounds like the tramps symbolic code where tramps would leave symbolic signs for other tramps to show what experience they had somewhere, but used by burglars.

pulliptears

Strange though isn't it? Something I would have dismissed as a hoax usually.

Maybe we should all chalk the "Nothing worth stealing" symbol on our front doors lol

marleyboy

Think I will etch an "O" with an "X" over it on my own property

marleyboy

Great minds eh Pulliptears

looby75

JIC anyone thinks this is a hoax I can assure you it isn't. My FIL is a member of the local neighbourhood watch he is responsible for making sure all the NW signs are secure and gets a monthly phone call from the local police allerting him to any activity in the area which he then passes on to all his neighbours, just last month the phone call warned of these signs being used in our area.

hollydays

But these myths do get passed around.
Still not convinced.

Ok-googling the word chalk markings police etc i came up with this link.It does say that other ways of indicating this are also used,as well as markings. someone

hollydays

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/4250377.Distraction_burglars_using_secret_codes_to_alert_fellow_thieves/



http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:SE_a6KpRY44J:www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php%3F5,1231639876,older+chalk+markings+police+houses+burglary&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk

Viper_7

been similar things for years re unsecured wire less routers. Symbols indicate the areas where on can piggy back another user - and sniff the traffic at the same time and obtain banking details etc.