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marcas

English translation: (organised) muggers


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:marcas
English translation:(organised) muggers
Entered by: Claudia Luque Bedregal
Options:
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18:36 Dec 22, 2011
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Slang / recomendaciones de seguridad
Spanish term or phrase: marcas
Contexto: recomendaciones de seguridad

Efectúe sus operaciones en diversas agencias bancarias o diferentes cajeros automáticos y en diferentes horarios, evitando la rutina y ser objeto de seguimiento por parte de delincuentes comunes conocidos como "marcas".

Muchas gracias por sus sugerencias.
Claudia Luque Bedregal
Peru
Local time: 00:24
(organised) muggers
Explanation:
From what I have read this term refers specifically to armed thieves who steal from people who have just taken money out of the bank. The normal word for those who steal like this (in America as well as the UK, I believe) is "mugger". I don't know of a specific term for those who do it in banks, but such people are commonly referred to as muggers.

"Son 30 las bandas de delincuentes en Lima que asaltan como ‘marcas’
Puede ser una pareja de enamorados, una mujer con su hijo o un tipo elegante que aparenta realizar una transacción o pagar algún servicio en un banco. Las bandas de ‘marcas’ suelen mimetizarse de estas formas para acechar a los clientes que retiran sumas fuertes de las ventanillas.
La víctima, tras dejar el banco, es seguida sigilosamente en un taxi o en un auto particular. En el camino, aquellos sujetos se contactan por celular con sus cómplices para indicarles el recorrido para luego desaparecer de la escena.
Seguidamente entran en acción los delincuentes quienes, pistola en mano, emboscan a la víctima en cualquier calle para despojarla de su dinero."
http://elcomercio.pe/lima/900304/noticia-son-30-bandas-delin...

Muggers often work in gangs. In order to highlight this feature of "marcas" and distinguish them from individual opportunist armed thieves in the street, perhaps we could say "organised muggers". The prior surveillance and the use of disguise or assumed identities are fairly common practice among mugger gangs.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2011-12-22 21:45:31 GMT)
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The term "spotter" certainly corresponds to part of the modus operandi of "marcas". A spotter is either a lookout, whose job is to watch for the police and warn the other criminals if they approach, or someone who identifies potential victims, but the spotter himself (or herself) does not actually commit the robbery.

"spotter
A criminal-accomplice whose job is to watch out for incoming policemen while his friends commit a crime (usually drug dealing, burglaries, safeguarding supply houses, etc). Spotters are basically human alarm systems that criminals use to warn them when the cops come near. They usually stand on a corner to get a better vantage point and to give their friends plenty of time to run away, flush the drugs, etc. The warning is usually a shouted code, but can sometimes also be visual; modern criminals now use cell phones. Often times, spotters are juveniles who can't be effectively punished by law for aiding in a felony."
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spotter

"Victims said the robbers are a white and a black man, and that they are working with a third man, a "spotter" who helps them zero in on victims.
Once the spotter sees a likely victim, usually someone walking alone, the robbers swoop in."
http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2011/09/armed_mug...
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Local time: 07:24
Grading comment
Thank you!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2spotters
Giovanni Rengifo
4 +1(organised) muggersCharles Davis
4gang members / a mark (single individual)
marcelo bajo


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
spotters


Explanation:
I'm actually not sure whether this is the right term,
but I'm pretty confident this is one that you could use.


Giovanni Rengifo
Colombia
Local time: 00:24
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 32
Notes to answerer
Asker: Gracias Giovanni.

Asker: Me parece que un "spotter" es el que observa e informa a los otros miembros de la banda de la posible víctima. Voy a seguir investigando. Gracias por la sugerencia. Saludos.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lisa McCarthy: Good option, I reckon
14 mins

agree  Rosa Paredes
2 hrs
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44 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
gang members / a mark (single individual)


Explanation:
see web references



    Reference: http://latinamericacurrentevents.com/santa-anita-peru-police...
    Reference: http://latinamericacurrentevents.com/lima-peru-police-pursue...
marcelo bajo
United States
Local time: 22:24
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Gracias por la sugerencia Marcelo, pero la traducción de "marca" por "mark" en este contexto no me parece adecuada.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Charles Davis: "Mark", in both these references, is a machine translation of "marca".
2 hrs
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
(organised) muggers


Explanation:
From what I have read this term refers specifically to armed thieves who steal from people who have just taken money out of the bank. The normal word for those who steal like this (in America as well as the UK, I believe) is "mugger". I don't know of a specific term for those who do it in banks, but such people are commonly referred to as muggers.

"Son 30 las bandas de delincuentes en Lima que asaltan como ‘marcas’
Puede ser una pareja de enamorados, una mujer con su hijo o un tipo elegante que aparenta realizar una transacción o pagar algún servicio en un banco. Las bandas de ‘marcas’ suelen mimetizarse de estas formas para acechar a los clientes que retiran sumas fuertes de las ventanillas.
La víctima, tras dejar el banco, es seguida sigilosamente en un taxi o en un auto particular. En el camino, aquellos sujetos se contactan por celular con sus cómplices para indicarles el recorrido para luego desaparecer de la escena.
Seguidamente entran en acción los delincuentes quienes, pistola en mano, emboscan a la víctima en cualquier calle para despojarla de su dinero."
http://elcomercio.pe/lima/900304/noticia-son-30-bandas-delin...

Muggers often work in gangs. In order to highlight this feature of "marcas" and distinguish them from individual opportunist armed thieves in the street, perhaps we could say "organised muggers". The prior surveillance and the use of disguise or assumed identities are fairly common practice among mugger gangs.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2011-12-22 21:45:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The term "spotter" certainly corresponds to part of the modus operandi of "marcas". A spotter is either a lookout, whose job is to watch for the police and warn the other criminals if they approach, or someone who identifies potential victims, but the spotter himself (or herself) does not actually commit the robbery.

"spotter
A criminal-accomplice whose job is to watch out for incoming policemen while his friends commit a crime (usually drug dealing, burglaries, safeguarding supply houses, etc). Spotters are basically human alarm systems that criminals use to warn them when the cops come near. They usually stand on a corner to get a better vantage point and to give their friends plenty of time to run away, flush the drugs, etc. The warning is usually a shouted code, but can sometimes also be visual; modern criminals now use cell phones. Often times, spotters are juveniles who can't be effectively punished by law for aiding in a felony."
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spotter

"Victims said the robbers are a white and a black man, and that they are working with a third man, a "spotter" who helps them zero in on victims.
Once the spotter sees a likely victim, usually someone walking alone, the robbers swoop in."
http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2011/09/armed_mug...


Charles Davis
Local time: 07:24
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
Thank you!!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Me parece que has dado en el blanco con "organised muggers" ;-) ¡Gracias Charles!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Helena Chavarria: I've just found that the terms "prowlers" and "targeting burglars/thieves" are also used.
20 hrs
  -> Thanks, Helena, and Happy Christmas :)
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