Call the police quickly

Are signs on the ground secret codes or harmless scribbles?

In a terraced housing estate in Marchtrenk, Upper Austria, a resident discovered suspicious symbols on the asphalt of his parking lot. What do such signs on the ground mean? The "Krone" asked experts how you should react in such a case.

Harmless scribbles or secret messages from criminal gangs? When residents discover suspicious symbols on or in front of their homes, not only do alarm bells usually ring, but also the phones of the police.

Earlier this week, the markings were discovered on several houses in Marchtrenk - the municipality warns citizens on its Facebook page.

"No great cause for concern"
"Please keep your eyes open and contact the police if you discover similar signs in your home or in your neighborhood," locals are urged. Nevertheless, Mayor Paul Mahr has noticed "no great concern among the population". "The homeowner contacted us on the advice of the police," says the head of the village, "because the police asked us to inform the public."

A homeowner discovered the rogue tines. However, I didn't notice any concern among the population.

Paul Mahr, Bürgermeister von Marchtrenk

But what do the symbols mean? "According to the resident, the 'X' means that there is something to get in this house. The lying 'B' means that a single woman lives here, but that doesn't apply in this particular case," says Mahr. The affected area is currently being patrolled more intensively.

"Best to remove immediately"
The "OÖ-Krone" wanted to know from an expert what the crooks' tines are all about: "They are definitely decreasing, they usually appear somewhere in Upper Austria once a year," says Ronald Maggauer from the Upper Austrian State Criminal Police Office.

The "marked" buildings tend not to be broken into, "the rogue tines could also be placed by members of the traveling public to indicate where residents have been particularly generous in begging."

But what should you do if you discover the symbols? "It's best to remove them immediately," recommends the expert.

What are scam ticks?

Crook ticks are secret codes on house walls, letterboxes, sidewalks or similar. It is assumed that criminal gangs use them to mark buildings that are worth breaking into. However, the signs could also be indications of the occupants, possible pets, alarm systems or weapons in the house.

In general, there seems to be an end in sight to the peak season for twilight burglaries: "They usually start at the end of summer and last until the end of February," says Maggauer. During the peak phase, the numbers fluctuate greatly. "When a professional gang is in the country, they commit up to three burglaries per night during this time, which naturally results in an extreme increase in the number of crimes," says Maggauer.

Most of the perpetrators are "tourists" in Upper Austria and originally come from the Eastern Bloc or the Balkan region.