All articles tagged with #unsolicited packages
Unsolicited packages from retailers like Amazon or Temu may indicate a brushing scam, where third-party sellers send items to generate fake reviews and boost product ratings. The Better Business Bureau advises documenting incidents, contacting retailers, and monitoring personal accounts to protect against fraud.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has issued a warning about a scam known as "brushing," where recipients receive unsolicited packages containing various items that were not ordered. The sender, usually an international third-party seller, aims to create the impression that the recipient is a verified buyer who has written positive online reviews of the merchandise. This helps fraudulently boost the products' ratings and sales numbers. While seemingly victimless, brushing can compromise personal identification and expose individuals to identity theft. To protect oneself, recipients should not pay for the merchandise, mark unopened packages as "return to sender," and closely monitor credit reports and credit card bills.