RESIDENTS of a small town have recalled finding chilling “Da Pinchi Code” markings outside their home days before a gang stole their cars.
A family in Sandwell, West Midlands, say that they were targeted by a “Grand Theft Auto-style” organisation who used secret signs to arrange the thefts.
GettyA family were left distraught after a ‘Grand Theft Auto-style’ gang pinched three cars from their street[/caption]
They fear that this mark on a tree outside their home was a secret burglar’s code
Dubbing them the “Da Pinchi Code”, a pun on the Da Vinci Code book and film series, the family believe the symbols were used to identify which locals own expensive cars or pets, making them ripe targets for crooks.
There have been examples of such signs recorded by cops, usually drawn in chalk outside victims’ homes.
Devon and Cornwall Police have even shared a graphic defining common signs used by evil gangs.
Some have terrifying meanings, including marking out which houses are occupied by vulnerable female homeowners and which have already been burgled.
In the Sandwell case, the family found the bark on part of a tree outside their home had been scratched away or burnt.
They believe this may be connected to the thefts of three motors, an Audi, BMW and Mercedes, in the early hours of August 9.
One of the victims told Birmingham Live: “We found a suspicious mark on the tree outside of our house, I don’t know if they used that to mark out our house or anything.
“We first noticed that about a week before, it was like they scratched off a load of bark, or burnt the tree slightly at the bottom. It’s directly outside the drive.
“We thought it was a bit weird but we thought nothing of it. It was an odd mark, we can’t 100% confirm if this was associated with the crime or not though.”
The Safeguarding Hub, which specialises in home security advice, added: “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.
“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?”
It comes after it was revealed that car thefts jumped by almost a quarter last year, as crooks use increasingly high-tech methods.
Meanwhile, a car security shared a list of the best accessories to stop thieves from getting away with your motor.
Devon and Cornwall Police previously released a graphic defining the sinister symbols used by thievesMen Syndication