Sticker scam

The sticker scam is a supposed practice where a burglar or accomplice places a sticker on a property to mark it as vulnerable, or unoccupied during the day,[2] having checked the building's security while pretending to deliver marketing material.[1] The burglar can then return to burgle the property at a later time.[3][4]

A fake sticker used believed to have been used by criminals in 2013[1]

The stickers typically advertise the services of a locksmith.[3][4] Such stickers are not necessarily an indicator of impending burglary, as locksmiths have placed these stickers on doors and doorframes since at least the 1980s as a way to gain business, by giving locked-out property owners a readily available number to call.[5][6] In New York city posting such stickers to advertise a business is illegal, carrying a fine.[7]

In 2013, a spokesman for Wandsworth Council spoke of "growing evidence" that organised burglars may have been using the method to target homes in south London. Responding to an incident the area, the Metropolitan Police said that "We are only aware of one burglary, in Wandsworth, at a property that has a sticker. However, we cannot confirm the property was burgled because it had a sticker."[5]