Brushing Scams

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Brushing Scams

The unordered merchandise typically comes from Amazon or other retailers in a box without a return address or any other identifying information. The recipient usually has no idea who ordered these items.

The companies shipping the products are usually foreign, third-party sellers that send the items using the address they found on the website. The companies will then post a fake, positive review on their website and make it appear as if the recipient wrote it. This helps the company look like a “verified buyer.”

Packages that are part of brushing scams have been popping up all over the country.

The items inside the packages have been varied. For example, in one case a humidifier, a hand warmer, a flashlight, a Bluetooth speaker and a computer vacuum cleaner arrived unordered.

Suspicious seeds showing up at homes in Northeast Ohio, and officials say they should not be planted. However, most often the items received are lightweight and inexpensive to ship, such as ping pong balls, face masks or more recently, seeds from China.

Being a victim of a brushing scam has proven to be bad for the consumer.

Companies have the recipient’s personal information, such as name, address and possibly phone number. This sensitive information could be used for various fraudulent activities.The recipient could be a victim of “porch pirates” who are using other people’s mailing addresses and accounts, watching for package deliveries and then stealing them from the porch/door before the resident retrieves them.

Brushing scams increase the foreign company’s sales and often result in “positive reviews,” which looks good for the company and ultimately helps lead to more sales.

Americans who are targeted in brushing scams are encouraged to notify the selling platform or retailer, such as Amazon, as these companies often have strict policies against brushing and fake reviews.

Victims are often encouraged to change their account passwords as brushing scams may be a sign that personal information has been compromised. These individuals should also keep a close eye on credit reports and credit card bills.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, victims of brushing scams have a right to keep their unordered merchandise.

If you believe you have been a victim of this type of scam you should promptly report it to the IC3's website at www.IC3.gov. The IC3's complaint database links complaints together to refer them to the appropriate law enforcement agency for case consideration.

Remember - always watch for scams!