A mum has issued an urgent warning to fellow drivers after repeatedly spotting 'strange' markings on the windows of her car. Laura Morgan from Wallasey, Merseyside, originally noticed the handwritten 'X' marks on her vehicle two months ago - and assumed that her children were the culprits initially.
Things took a more sinister turn when she investigated further and realised that the suspicious marks were only appearing at night - which fuelled her worry further. Laura shared images of the bizarre crosses scribbled onto her car window, which she parks right outside her home, in a bid to help other drivers, the Liverpool Echo reports.
The mum 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."
Some people believe that the creepy marks are a sign used by thieves and burglars to secretly communicate with each other - signalling who to target.
Have you seen any of these symbols on your car? Tell us in the comments...
The unusual markings have been dubbed the "Da Pinchi Code" thanks to their association with criminal activity.
We reported earlier this year that hidden codes like the 'X' are often used by criminals to identify potential properties to rob.
For instance, an 'X' means that the home is a "good target", while a circle with an 'X' through it means that there possibly isn't anything worth stealing.
The Safeguarding Hub - which shares home protection advice and information across the UK - 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?
People have also been warned that a triangle symbol is chillingly used to show a single woman lives in the property on her own, while vertical lines could imply a house has obvious valuables inside.
It's also worth keeping an eye out for letters 'M' which tells other burglars to strike the morning, whereas 'N' means a night-time intrusion.
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