How to Stop Brushing Scams and Protect Yourself

Identifying Brushing Scams

A “brushing scam” involves scammers sending unsolicited packages to individuals. This tactic aims to generate fake positive reviews for their products on e-commerce platforms, artificially boosting ratings and visibility. These shipments create a false appearance of legitimate sales, manipulating online sales algorithms and consumer trust.

Recognizing a brushing scam often begins with receiving an unordered package. These unsolicited shipments typically contain inexpensive, lightweight, or unusual items, such as seeds, imitation jewelry, or generic electronics accessories. The sender is frequently an unfamiliar third-party seller, often from an overseas address.

The package may have slight variations in your name or address. A clear indicator of a brushing scam is the absence of an invoice or sender information beyond a return address. Tracking information for the package will likely show delivery to your address, even though no purchase was initiated by you.

Immediate Actions Upon Receiving an Unsolicited Package

Upon receiving a package suspected of being a brushing scam, take immediate, cautious steps. If the package contains perishable or potentially hazardous items like unknown seeds, do not consume, use, or open them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises against planting unsolicited seeds due to the risk of introducing invasive species or plant diseases.

For harmless contents, do not return the item to the sender. Returning the package could confirm your address as active and incur unnecessary shipping costs. Instead, retain the package and its contents as evidence for future reporting and investigations.

Document everything related to the package. Take clear photographs of the package from all angles, ensuring shipping labels, tracking numbers, and sender information are visible. Also, photograph the contents. Check your online shopping accounts, such as Amazon or eBay, to confirm no unauthorized orders are associated with your profile.

Reporting Brushing Scams

Reporting a brushing scam helps combat deceptive practices and protect consumer data. If the package is linked to an online retailer like Amazon or eBay, contact their customer service. Provide detailed information, including the tracking number, order ID, and photographs of the package and its contents. Most major e-commerce platforms have procedures for handling such reports.

Beyond e-commerce platforms, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC collects information on consumer fraud, and your report helps track scam trends and enables enforcement actions against fraudulent businesses. File a report through their online complaint assistant, providing all relevant details about the package and its sender. This aids in identifying larger patterns of fraudulent activity.

If the unsolicited package was delivered via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), reporting the incident to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is appropriate. The USPIS investigates mail-related crimes, including mail fraud. Providing them with details like the tracking number and return address can assist in their investigations into illegal mail practices.

For packages containing unsolicited seeds or plant material, a specific report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is imperative. The USDA is concerned about the potential introduction of invasive plant species or diseases that could harm agricultural ecosystems. They provide specific guidance on how to report these instances and the proper disposal methods to prevent environmental risks.

Protecting Personal Information

Safeguarding personal information reduces the likelihood of becoming a target for brushing scams or data misuse. Regularly monitor your credit reports for unusual or unauthorized activity, which provides an early warning for potential identity theft. Free annual credit reports are available from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through AnnualCreditReport.com.

Employ strong, unique passwords for all online shopping accounts and email. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, avoiding easily guessable information, to enhance account security. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible for an additional layer of security, requiring a second verification step.

Exercising caution about the personal information shared online, particularly on social media platforms, is also important. Scammers often gather details from public profiles to personalize their fraudulent attempts. Regularly reviewing privacy settings on e-commerce sites and social media platforms can help limit the visibility of your personal data.

Remaining vigilant against phishing attempts and suspicious emails asking for personal data is another protective measure. Legitimate companies rarely request sensitive information like passwords or social security numbers via email. Always verify the sender and consider contacting the company directly through official channels if you have doubts about an email’s authenticity.