Security expert shares all signs burglars use to mark houses they are planning to attack

Unfortunately, we’re at that time of year when you start to hear horror stories of people’s homes being broken into with all the Christmas presents they’ve saved up for being stolen.

Burglars strike at any time of year, but it seems to have a more shocking impact when it happens to families during the festive season.

So, to try and give you some comfort in staying on top of your home’s security, experts have shared the signs burglars are said to use when marking houses they are planning to attack.

I know, it’s all very Home Alone but the experts here include the police and security companies, not Kevin McCallister.

Police Scotland Lanarkshire took to X a while back to share signs that had been seen in the area of East Kilbride.

And while some commented to say it’s a bit of an urban myth, they were similar to those shared by smart home devices company Netatmo.

Usually marked in chalk, some may notice these signs or symbols drawn onto their driveway, garage door, post-box or just the pavement outside. And we’ve rounded up some of those mentioned to give you an idea of what to look out for.

Circle or a cross

This may indicate the house is an easier one to target, perhaps because there is no home security system set up or just generally isn’t kept very secure.

Letter code

‘M’ for empty in the morning or ‘N’ for empty at night. Yep, while other symbols seem to consist of shapes and patterns, sometimes they’re just as simple as burglars tracking your movements.

Circle with a cross

This suggests your home contains nothing worth stealing.

Formation of small circles

This however suggests the house has wealthier occupants and it’s a place worth targeting to steal from.

Triangle or two rectangles like an opened book

This indicates there’s a ‘vulnerable occupant’ or a single woman in the house.

Overlapping rectangles

Similarly, these shapes suggest those who live in the house are ‘afraid’.

How thieves target these homes

Again, it’s often said it’s an urban myth that burglars use codes like this to mark homes they plan to target. However, there’s no denying that thieves will often plan and prepare, observing homes beforehand.

They may track when you are away or your working hours and take note of the alarms and security cameras used by you and your neighbours.

For those with a landline, they may even ring up your home to check when people are in.

And similarly, in a very Home Alone-esque move, they may even pretend to be a door-to-door seller so they can take a peak from the front door - just keep an eye out for any gold teeth.