What is brushing? Better Business Bureau says businesses send unordered merchandise
The Better Business Bureau is warning Ohio consumers about a new type of scam involving boxes delivered to their front door containing merchandise they never ordered.
Brushing happens when boxes are delivered to residents’ front doors containing merchandise they never ordered from online sellers who use their information without consent.
Consumers have reported receiving humidifiers, hand warmers, flashlights, Bluetooth speakers and computer vacuum cleaners they never ordered, according to the BBB.
Other times, the items received are lightweight and inexpensive to ship, such as ping pong balls, face masks or seeds from China.
In a recent BBB Scam Tracker Report, one consumer shared, “A mysterious package was delivered to my home from a person I do not know, without me ordering any such package. When I tried to look up the return address, the search returned ‘brushing scam’ hits.”
Brushing scam
Here’s why it’s a scam, according to the BBB.
The companies, usually foreign, are third-party sellers that are sending the items using homeowners’ and renters’ addresses they discovered online.
These companies intend to make it look like the consumer wrote a glowing online review of their merchandise and falsely claim the consumer is a verified buyer of that merchandise.
The company will then post a fake, positive review to improve its products’ ratings, which means the company is making more sales by sending unordered merchandise to addresses without consent.
What to do
Here’s what the Better Business Bureau suggests to do if you believe you’re a target of brushing. According to the Federal Trade Commission, you are allowed to keep the items.
- Notify the retailer: Brushing and fake reviews are against Amazon’s policies, so contact Amazon Customer Service if this happens to you and the product appears to come from Amazon. They will investigate and take action against the bad actor. Amazon also takes security seriously and encourages customers to report fraudulent purchases or other security issues. If the package appears to come through another established business, go directly to their website to get their contact information.
- Try to identify the sender: If you can identify the sender of unordered packages, consider checking for potential false reviews in your name - and ask for the reviews to be removed.
Check your account for recent orders: Some targets of brushing scams can be flooded with unordered packages, creating a serious problem. If this happens, consider whether to refuse package delivery at your home address and temporarily direct items that you did order to a package acceptance service.
Change your account passwords: Brushing could be a sign that personal information has been compromised, and to improve account security, keep a close eye on credit reports and credit card bills.
Protect your identity: Follow this guide for identity theft protection from the BBB to protect your accounts from hackers.
To report a scam, go to the BBB Scam Tracker.