Brushing Scams Return: How to Identify This Fraud and Protect Your Personal Data

Shopping scams are more common than ever, and some are easier to spot than others. But there’s one scam that often takes people by surprise because they’re not aware that they’re a victim until an unexpected, unsolicited package arrives at their doorstep. This is known as a brushing scam.

The scam first gained attention years ago when people began receiving garden seeds from China. Now it’s making headlines again as local police departments nationwide are warning residents who may be at a loss as to what is happening. When I had an Amazon order last year that included a “free” item, I was equally as confused.

 That’s when I learned about brushing scams, why they pose such a problem and what has to happen in order to protect personal information. Wondering what it means to be the victim of a brushing scam? Keep reading to find out how it works and what to do if it impacts you.

What is a brushing scam and how does it work?

This scam, which has recently reemerged for many residents around the country, involves receiving a box of items from Amazon or another retailer that you did not order. Sometimes it’s a little less obvious, and an item you never purchased will appear in a package with merchandise you did pay for. (This method is what happened to me last year).

As the Better Business Bureau (BBB) points out, “There is no return address, or sometimes it just appears to come from Amazon or another retailer, and the receiver has yet to learn who ordered the items.”

Some people will receive multiple unknown packages while others get the occasional odd item. Either way, it’s enough to leave you feeling confused!

Why do brushing scams happen? 

Generally, these scams are being done by third-party sellers (often international) who ship items to a real address. The main reason: It allows them to write a fake review for their product. They can “prove” that there is a real and verified buyer who received the item so they can write a positive online review for it – in your name.

“These fake reviews help to fraudulently boost or inflate the products’ ratings and sales numbers, which they hope results in an increase of actual sales in the long-run,” writes the United States Postal Inspection Service. The items are also usually cheap and affordable to ship, which means a financial pay-off for a seller.

Scammers then continue this process repeatedly, often targeting thousands of unsuspecting people and sending them those cheap items. This allows the crooks to give the false impression that products have been purchased, used and positively reviewed by a lot of people.

Another scam that's been popping up? Gold bar scamming. Click through to learn how it happens.

How to spot the signs of a brushing scam 

The clearest sign of a brushing scam is receiving unsolicited or “free” items you didn’t order.Sometimes it’s an odd mix of things, like a flashlight, humidifier and computer vacuum cleaner. But more often than not, it’s a low-cost and lightweight good, such as a package of ping pong balls or a beauty face mask.

In the news video below, a woman (who wasn’t expecting) received baby gender reveal balloons and other party supplies.

One Reddit user actually shared that they found themselves in the possession of an unknown package containing…nothing. “I've recently received a very small package that only contained a piece of cardboard,” they wrote. “After looking around it appears that this may be a brushing scam.”

Why brushing scams can be dangerous   

On the surface, receiving free items seems like a delightful surprise! But brushing scams can actually be more serious for a few reasons. 

First, being a victim likely means that some part of your personal information may have been compromised. As LifeLock shares, scammers search online for people’s names and addresses using a data broker site or people search. Others utilize the dark web to collect this information via data breaches. Your personal information being collected without your consent could leave you open to future scams or other illicit activities.

In some cases, a brushing scam involves a porch pirate approach. This is when thieves use someone else’s address and account information to have the merchandise shipped.  They then steal it from the home before the actual resident can get to the box. While they aren’t technically stealing from you (since you didn’t order the item in the first place), it can make you and your home a target for other incidents.

Finally, brushing harms all honest consumers! Fake reviews, especially in large numbers, can trick someone into believing a product is a worthwhile purchase. Only after they order the item will they discover it’s not what they were led to believe, and may even have a hard time getting a refund for it. (Click through to learn how to spot fake reviews).

What to do if you’re a brushing victim

The first step you should take is to check all of your accounts for signs of identity theft or compromised security. If everything appears to be in order, the brushing incident may be a one-off.

Next, contact the retailer. If the package came from Amazon, their customer service team will investigate the incident, as they highly encourage customers to report fraudulent purchases. (Did the package come from another identifiable seller? Reach out to that business directly so they can look into it).

If you can identify the sender, it may allow you to see if a fake review has been posted for the product using your name. In that case, reach out to have the review taken down. 

In the majority of cases (including my own), Amazon will likely tell you to just keep the item(s) you received. Even if you aren’t working with Amazon to resolve the issue, the Federal Trade Commission says you have a legal right to keep unordered merchandise.

Then it’s up to you to decide whether you want to use the freebie, give it away or trash it. In one Reddit thread, a victim of a brushing scam shared how she received 50 plain unmarked mugs, and asked for ideas on what to do with them. Others shared suggestions of donating them to the teachers at a school, giving them to a nursing home, or turning them into later holiday gifts. You never know how these unwanted items could be put to use!

Steps to avoid the scam

Although it’s impossible to guarantee you won’t become the victim of a brushing scam, exercising caution online is a great start. Being mindful of Internet passwords (and changing them as needed), regularly monitoring your bank and credit accounts and setting up two-factor authentication are all helpful.

You can also help break the cycle if a particular seller has been sending countless unordered packages to your address. In this case, the BBB says to “consider whether to refuse package delivery at your home address and temporarily direct items that you did order to a package acceptance service.”

Staying alert to how a brushing scam works will make you prepared if it should happen to you!

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