Unordered packages at your door? You may be the victim of a new scam

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/08/2024 (418 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Four stars or higher. That’s what many of us are looking for as we scroll online marketplaces, contemplating our next purchase. While we think “four stars or higher,” we forget to consider the source of those stars. Is it truly coming from verified customers? Is it simply made up by the company itself? Or, under a new scam, has it been inflated by something called “brushing”?

Brushing is an emerging scam where dishonest companies ship lightweight products to your home even though you’ve never made a purchase with them. They then post a fake, positive review on your behalf and mark it as a sale in their book, using both to boost their online profiles.

Companies that have sold a lot of product with high ratings can enjoy higher traffic spots on online marketplaces. This scam helps them appear popular and well-liked to the world while, in reality, they’re sending unsolicited ping pong balls and face masks to people’s houses.

This scam has many victims. If you receive a product like this, that you’ve never ordered from an unknown seller, it could mean your personal information is at risk. An unknown company having your name and home address is never a good sign. To better protect yourself, change your online passwords and be sure that when you do give out your home address, it’s on a secure site. You can quickly check by ensuring there’s a lock before the url or the url starts with “https” rather than just “http”.

You are entitled to keep the packages you receive. But to ensure others aren’t now falling for the fake reviews soon to be posted in your name, be sure to notify the retailer (like Amazon). Amazon takes security seriously and will take action against the scamming business. You can also look for fake reviews under your name in the comments section for the business from which the package is coming. You may ask for the reviews to be removed so that others do not fall for the façade.

Other victims of the scam include all those who buy products from the company, not knowing their sales record and reviews are forged. We’re not getting an accurate view of the quality of product, customer service or policies. We’re putting our trust in other “people” who we believe have dealt with this company before. Little do we know, their experience has simply been receiving unordered flashlights in the mail.

This is why seeking out trustworthy reviews is more important than ever. You can help yourself ensure the quality of a review by looking up the company on bbb.org. There, complaints are dealt with by third-party people, which creates a more realistic view of the company. Plus, you can save yourself a lot of hassle by filtering for accredited businesses to see which have pledged themselves to upholding high ethical standards for their customers.

With brushing now taking place, be sure to take extra caution before believing a company’s reviews or ratings. One extra step to verify the company’s history elsewhere, on a site like bbb.org, could save you a hassle in the long run.