CHARLOTTE — If you get a package you weren’t expecting, is it just a simple mistake or is it a bigger scam?
The United States Postal Service is investigating instances of what they call “brushing,” and there are tips you should follow if you end up getting something you didn’t order.
Ryan Simmons gets packages delivered to his apartment frequently, but last month he found what looked like an Amazon delivery. What was inside the package left him stumped: a single pack of beet chews.
“I did think that maybe someone in my family was playing a joke on me, that they were telling me that I needed to eat healthier,” Simmons said.
It’s happening all across the country and it has a name: the brushing scam.
“They didn’t order anything, they receive it, and it’s generally a household item, a low-value item,” said USPS Postal Inspector David Gealey.
Gealey says brushing is becoming more common. Scammers start by randomly creating a mailing list, then they mail or ship products. Usually, they’re received by unsuspecting people.
“They have your personal information, which is easy to get because they can just Google a name and address, it’s out there on the web, right?” Gealey said.
The scammer then writes a fake review, which they can do because they sent the item. Sometimes the scam is just to generate those fake reviews, but there’s something investigators say you need to watch out for.
“We do caution customers do not scan any QR codes that’s on the package, because sometimes that QR code can lead to a malicious site,” Gealey said.
Ryan’s package didn’t have a QR code, but it was such an odd item to receive that he figured he would check on his account.
“My first thought was to check my account to see if my account had been hacked,” he said.
Fortunately for Ryan, his account was fine, leaving him relieved and with a health supplement that he’d never even heard of.
(VIDEO: How to avoid deep fake scams)
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