Receive A Mystery Package? Could Be A Scam

Stock photo by Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick / CC BY-SA 3.0

JAMESTOWN – Have you ever gotten a package you didn’t order? It could be part of a scam.

The Federal Trade Commission and cyber experts have been warning consumers about deliveries known as “brushing” scams.

Here’s how they work, third-party sellers on Amazon, eBay and other online marketplaces pay people to write fake, positive reviews about their products.


To be able to post the reviews, these so-called “brushers” need to trick the site into making it appear that a legitimate transaction took place.

So, they’ll use a fake account to place orders and address them to a random person whose name and address they find online.

Then, instead of actually mailing the item for which they want to post a review, the brushers will send a cheap, often lightweight item that costs less to ship.



The FTC has gone after marketers that use fake reviews. But, it’s not illegal to send customers unordered merchandise.

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.