USPS warns about 'brushing scams'

What is a brushing scam?

Imagine you start getting small packages at your house that you didn’t order-maybe things like socks, phone cases, or other cheap items. You didn’t buy them, and no one you know sent them. That might sound like a lucky surprise, but it's actually part of a trick called a brushing scam.

Here’s what’s really happening:

1. A dishonest seller on a shopping website (like Amazon or other online stores) wants to make it look like lots of people are buying their products and leaving good reviews.
2. To trick the system, they send out real packages to real addresses-like yours-just so they can say, "Look! A real person got this product."
3. Then, they write fake reviews using your name or address to make their product look good online.

You didn’t pay for anything, and you don’t owe anything. But the scammer is using your information without permission to make their business look better.

Is it dangerous?

It’s usually not dangerous if you just get a random package once or twice. But it means your name and address are out there, and someone is using them for dishonest reasons. That’s not good.

If it happens a lot, you might want to:

• Tell someone you trust (family or a neighbor),
• Report it to the company it came from (like Amazon),
• Or even call your local post office.

The bottom line:

If you start getting strange packages you didn’t ask for, don’t worry-but don’t ignore it either. It might be a brushing scam, and it’s better to let someone know.