Imagine opening your front door to find a package you never ordered. A gadget, a beauty product, maybe even something cheap and odd like a pair of socks. It feels like a mistake, or maybe a lucky freebie. But in reality, you may have just been caught up in a brushing scam.
Brushing scams are an illegal tactic used by shady third-party sellers on e-commerce platforms. They send unsolicited merchandise to real people, then post fake “verified buyer” reviews in those people’s names. The scam inflates their seller ratings, boosts visibility, and tricks real customers into buying.
How Brushing Scams Work
Data Collection → Scammers buy your name/address from data breaches, public records, or the dark web.
Fake Orders → Using a fake buyer account, they ship a cheap product to your address.
Fake Reviews → Once delivery is confirmed, they post glowing reviews as if you wrote them.
Boosted Rankings → Their product appears popular and trustworthy, tricking future buyers.
Why Brushing Scams Are Dangerous
While a free package seems harmless, the risks are real:
Compromised Personal Data → If scammers have your mailing address, they may have other details too.
Identity Theft Risk → Your information can be used in further fraud.
Consumer Harm → Fake reviews mislead honest buyers into purchasing junk products.
Malicious Add-Ons → Some packages include cards with QR codes. Scanning them can lead to phishing sites or malware.
Globally, scams are exploding: over $1 trillion lost to fraud in 2024, with brushing just one tactic in this broader epidemic.
What To Do If You Receive an Unsolicited Package
Do not scan QR codes or engage with any contact info inside the package.
Keep or discard the item — under U.S. and U.K. law, you are not required to pay or return unsolicited merchandise.
Report it:
U.S. → Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.govand to the e-commerce platform (e.g., Amazon).
UK → Report to Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk).
Canada → Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Protect your accounts → Change your online shopping passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and monitor credit reports.
Stay alert → If you start receiving multiple packages, treat it as a red flag for possible identity theft.
Variations of Brushing Scams
Cross-border shipping → Packages may come from overseas sellers to make tracking harder.
High-value bait → Occasionally, scammers send expensive items to create even more persuasive fake reviews.
QR-code twists → Increasingly, scammers include a “track your order” or “verify your gift” QR code. NEVER scan it, or DO USE FLGGD's QR Scanner.
How Flggd Helps
Brushing scams are just one piece of the global fraud puzzle. Flggd was created to give everyday consumers a simple tool to check suspicious messages, emails, QR codes, and scam tactics in real time.
When you’re unsure whether something is safe, drop it into Flggd. Our app delivers an instant verdict along with the reasons why.
Scams like brushing rely on confusion, misdirection, and fake trust. Flggd flips the script, giving you clarity before you click, scan, or panic.
Key Takeaway
If a package you never ordered arrives: don’t celebrate, don’t scan, and don’t panic. Keep it, toss it, or report it, but know it’s part of a bigger scam. The best defense is awareness, vigilance, and tools like Flggd that help you spot red flags in real time.
