A Surprising Discovery
It’s rather unsettling to come home and find what looks like red or white wax on your front door keyhole. Initially, it might seem like a prank or a product malfunction, but more often than not, it’s a tactic used by criminals to gather information. For instance, a property manager who flips houses noticed that several houses in the area had their locks either damaged or coated with a substance resembling white lipstick. Upon contacting the local authorities, it was explained that this is a tactic used by squatters and thieves to observe the movement of keys and figure out which keys are for which houses and which ones are likely to be unoccupied.
How It Works
The mechanism is quite simple yet effective. By rubbing the keyhole with a similar compound, it will later be possible to check if it has been tampered with. If it remains intact, meaning nobody has accessed the property, it might be seen as an invitation for burglary or squatting. However, if the wax is removed or disturbed in any way, it makes the property less appealing to burglars as it indicates activity within the premises.