What could be better than opening the door and finding an unexpected package? Thanks to a new package scam, that anticipation has been replaced by suspicion. It's called "brushing" and here's how it works: A person receives a package containing all sorts of cheap items they never ordered. The sender is usually a third-party seller who has gotten the recipient’s address from an online database. The intention is to give the impression that the recipient is a verified buyer who has written positive online reviews of the merchandise. What’s really happening is that the seller is writing a fake review in order to boost their ratings, which they hope results in an increase of actual sales in the long-run. You can protect yourself from brushing scams by doing the following:
- Don't be talked into paying for the merchandise.
- Don't open it. Mark it "RETURN TO SENDER" and return it free.
- If you opened it and don't want it, simply throw it out.
- If you opened it and want it, it's legal to keep it.
- Change your password.
- Closely monitor your credit report and credit card bills.
