Brushing
Have you ever wondered why packages sometimes randomly appear at your doorstep even though you haven't ordered anything? Well, you may have been a victim of a brushing scam. Brushing scams happen when you receive a package addressed to you at your home address that you've never ordered. These packages have no return address, leaving you with the option of opening it or throwing it away. Let's say you decide to open it: inside of the package you see a random cheap object, possibly along with a QR code. You might be thinking it was a secret Santa, and someone was thinking of you and bought you a gift. However, in this instance, that is not the case.
In this scam, the scammer finds your home address somewhere online and uses a third-party mailing service to send a random package to it. After sending the package, they typically write a review using your name to boost the statistics on their fraudulent website. This allows them to raise the prices of products they have listed while seeming like a reputable business, scamming the buyers in the process. Raising the prices for others allows them to make a profit, despite sending you a package at no cost to you.
Alternatively, the scammer may attempt to have you scan an included QR code to answer questions regarding the package. However, the QR code will lead to an imitation of a legitimate site that you might be familiar with where you're prompted to sign-in to 鈥渓earn more鈥 about the package. Signing in to the fraudulent website sends your username and password to the scammer, potentially leaving them with access to your accounts.
So, next time you receive a package that you did not order and doesn't have a return address, please take the time and ask yourself: could this possibly be a brushing attempt?