44:
422:
90:
54:
In 2016, there were reports in different regions of the United
Kingdom of mysterious symbols being chalked and painted onto roads, kerbs and walls. Social media posts described the markings as being a criminal code to indicate messages such as "nothing worth stealing" or "wealthy homeowner", and some
34:
commenting that publicly creating such signs would be an unnecessary additional risk for the burglar, when they could instead simply note down details of addresses. Those wishing to communicate property information to an accomplice could do so more easily by other channels, without making the same
97:
Stories have appeared in the
British media reporting that burglars were placing emergency locksmith stickers on properties to mark them as vulnerable, or unoccupied during the day, having checked the building's security while pretending to deliver marketing material. Having placed a sticker, the
101:
The stickers typically advertise the services of a locksmith. Such stickers are not necessarily an indicator of impending burglary, as locksmiths have placed these stickers on doors and doorframes since at least the 1980s as a way to gain business, by giving locked-out property owners a readily
202:
81:, England, who had received reports of coloured stickers being placed on car tyres outside properties, which they explained were placed there as part of the tyre manufacturing process.
61:
investigated the reports and concluded that the markings had been placed by utility firms to mark power lines, water pipes and similar features, prior to commencing work at a site.
117:
said that "We are only aware of one burglary, in
Wandsworth, at a property that has a sticker. However, we cannot confirm the property was burgled because it had a sticker."
331:
502:
23:
is a marking supposedly left on or near a property by a burglar or their accomplice, signalling in code that the building is vulnerable or unoccupied.
306:
254:
348:
394:
463:
379:
280:
365:
133:
in front gardens, to see whether the residents would remove them and confirm that the property was actively occupied.
93:
A locksmith sticker with an unresponsive number that police believed to have been used by criminals in London in 2013
492:
73:
using coloured stickers or bags tied in trees to mark properties from which dogs could be stolen at a future date.
456:
227:
497:
109:
spoke of "growing evidence" that organised burglars may have been using the method to target homes in
482:
77:
described the social media posts as a "viral hoax", a conclusion that was also reached by police in
449:
114:
126:
106:
58:
43:
487:
433:
421:
74:
142:
89:
476:
130:
172:
110:
27:
55:
local police forces distributed leaflets repeating this explanation to residents.
69:
In 2013, stories began to circulate in
Australia and later the United Kingdom of
152:
47:
147:
70:
78:
31:
349:"Council warns fake locksmith stickers could be signal for burglars"
98:
burglar can then return to break into the property at a later time.
429:
88:
42:
255:"Thieves 'using stickers to target London houses for burglaries'"
380:"Turning A Construction Fence Into Art; Locksmith Scam; More!"
395:"Mystery toy gnomes may be burglary ploy, Welsh police warn"
129:
said that they were aware of reports of burglars placing
307:"Thieves 'using fake locksmith stickers to mark houses'"
437:
228:"FACT CHECK: Bags in Trees Target Homes of Dog Owners?"
360:
358:
332:"'Sticker scam' burglaries push up insurance costs"
50:
symbols made by a utility company on a road surface
325:
323:
16:Supposed practice of marking houses for burglary
173:"FEMA Marking Mailboxes with Colored Stickers"
457:
281:"Beat the burglar's 'sophisticated new scam'"
203:"What those symbols on pavements really mean"
8:
464:
450:
343:
341:
113:. Responding to an incident the area, the
35:information available to other criminals.
366:"Mystery of 'burglar's markers' unlocked"
164:
253:Davenport, Justin (18 November 2013).
305:Riley-Smith, Ben (18 November 2013).
196:
194:
7:
418:
416:
26:The practice is considered to be an
393:Morris, Steven (5 September 2023).
436:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
330:Hunter, Teresa (1 February 2014).
14:
503:Graffiti and unauthorised signage
201:Sherwin, Adam (19 January 2016).
420:
334:– via www.telegraph.co.uk.
1:
519:
415:
102:available number to call.
105:In 2013, a spokesman for
432:-related article is a
94:
51:
92:
46:
382:. 12 September 2013.
368:. 21 November 2013.
125:In September 2023,
115:Metropolitan Police
127:North Wales Police
107:Wandsworth Council
95:
85:Locksmith stickers
59:West Mercia Police
52:
493:Confidence tricks
445:
444:
510:
466:
459:
452:
424:
417:
410:
409:
407:
405:
390:
384:
383:
376:
370:
369:
362:
353:
352:
345:
336:
335:
327:
318:
317:
315:
313:
302:
296:
295:
293:
291:
276:
270:
269:
267:
265:
259:Evening Standard
250:
244:
243:
241:
239:
224:
218:
217:
215:
213:
198:
189:
188:
186:
184:
169:
518:
517:
513:
512:
511:
509:
508:
507:
473:
472:
471:
470:
414:
413:
403:
401:
392:
391:
387:
378:
377:
373:
364:
363:
356:
347:
346:
339:
329:
328:
321:
311:
309:
304:
303:
299:
289:
287:
278:
277:
273:
263:
261:
252:
251:
247:
237:
235:
234:. 12 March 2013
226:
225:
221:
211:
209:
207:The Independent
200:
199:
192:
182:
180:
171:
170:
166:
161:
139:
123:
87:
75:RSPCA Australia
67:
41:
17:
12:
11:
5:
516:
514:
506:
505:
500:
495:
490:
485:
475:
474:
469:
468:
461:
454:
446:
443:
442:
425:
412:
411:
385:
371:
354:
351:. 20 May 2017.
337:
319:
297:
271:
245:
219:
190:
179:. 4 April 2015
163:
162:
160:
157:
156:
155:
150:
145:
143:Locksmith scam
138:
135:
122:
119:
86:
83:
66:
63:
40:
37:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
515:
504:
501:
499:
498:Urban legends
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
480:
478:
467:
462:
460:
455:
453:
448:
447:
441:
439:
435:
431:
426:
423:
419:
400:
396:
389:
386:
381:
375:
372:
367:
361:
359:
355:
350:
344:
342:
338:
333:
326:
324:
320:
308:
301:
298:
286:
282:
279:ABLOY, ASSA.
275:
272:
260:
256:
249:
246:
233:
229:
223:
220:
208:
204:
197:
195:
191:
178:
174:
168:
165:
158:
154:
151:
149:
146:
144:
141:
140:
136:
134:
132:
131:garden gnomes
128:
120:
118:
116:
112:
108:
103:
99:
91:
84:
82:
80:
76:
72:
64:
62:
60:
56:
49:
45:
39:Chalk symbols
38:
36:
33:
29:
24:
22:
438:expanding it
427:
402:. Retrieved
399:The Guardian
398:
388:
374:
310:. Retrieved
300:
288:. Retrieved
284:
274:
262:. Retrieved
258:
248:
236:. Retrieved
231:
222:
210:. Retrieved
206:
181:. Retrieved
176:
167:
124:
111:South London
104:
100:
96:
68:
57:
53:
28:urban legend
25:
21:burglar sign
20:
18:
483:Crime stubs
404:5 September
153:Warchalking
71:dog thieves
48:Chalk paint
477:Categories
285:yale.co.uk
232:Snopes.com
177:Snopes.com
159:References
148:Hobo signs
488:Burglary
264:21 April
238:21 April
212:21 April
183:21 April
137:See also
65:Stickers
30:, with
79:Whitby
32:Snopes
430:crime
428:This
312:4 May
290:4 May
121:Other
434:stub
406:2023
314:2019
292:2019
266:2022
240:2022
214:2022
185:2022
479::
397:.
357:^
340:^
322:^
283:.
257:.
230:.
205:.
193:^
175:.
19:A
465:e
458:t
451:v
440:.
408:.
316:.
294:.
268:.
242:.
216:.
187:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
