A security expert has warned Brits of a bizarre kidney bean trick used by burglars to 'mark' homes as possible targets for break-ins.
Burglars are reported to be targeting homes by leaving kidney beans on doorsteps to see if people are away on holiday. If the mess isn't cleaned up after a few days, the burglars likely assume the homeowner are a target for a hit.
The disturbing technique, which has recently been noticed in the Manchester area, is a simple way for burglars to avoid wasting time when breaking into a property, enabling them to single out the houses they want to target easily.
Other signs that your property may well be a target for burglars are stones placed near doorways or stickers on rubbish bins.
It was recently reported that robbers were placing sellotape over keyholes in front doors to see whether anyone was home. If the tape stays in place for a few days, no one is likely to be home, making the home a much more attractive target.
Home buyers have also been warned over a nasty scam that might lure people into giving over hundreds of thousands of pounds to scammers.
Not only that, those expecting parcels have been cautioned once again as thieves are using a Royal Mail text scam to extort money by claiming a package is out on delivery for them.
Helping Brits avoid being victims of the kidney bean trick, Elizabeth Johns, a security expert, told The Sun, "It seems ridiculous, but we heard a while back that people are putting kidney beans on the front of people's doors.
"Obviously, if you're in you'd clean them up. But if you're away then if the tin of kidney beans was still there then that suggests that you're away. This was happening in our local community in Manchester."
To avoid being a target for burglars, homeowners should always ask a neighbour or a close trusted friend to keep a watch on their property if they go away and to urge them to keep an eye out for anything suspicious on doorsteps.
