‘Brushing Scam’ Behind Amazon, Temu Packages Consumers Didn't Order

ACROSS AMERICA — Boxes and boxes of stuff, including obscure items such as crawfish traps and industrial-strength toenail clippers, from sites such as Temu and Amazon, have been arriving at unsuspecting Americans’ doorsteps in what consumer protection advocates warn is a “brushing scam” to prod the recipients of these surprise packages to write glowing customer reviews.

Isabel Wood, a 27-year-old woman living outside of Chicago, told “Inside Edition” that the cat perfume was the most unusual among the hundreds of items that have been coming to her doorstep. The mystery gifts have also included hats, belts, a karaoke machine, and they all came from Temu, a Chinese e-commerce company that sells discounted merchandise.

“The first week or two, I was like, ‘Hey, this is kind of fun, it was like Christmas,’ but now it’s gotten so overwhelming,” Wood told the news magazine.

So much stuff has arrived at Wood’s door that her dad had to get a bigger vehicle to haul it to storage, she said.

In Minnesota last year, Anna Hutchison, of St. Paul, was surprised, too, when she received a package containing baby reveal balloons and cupcake stands. She hadn’t ordered either, and they were only the beginning of a string of unwanted package deliveries, CBS News reported.

Similar reports of the brushing scam been made across the country. The scam dates back at least a decade, with reports from California, Colorado, Texas and Massachusetts, where a surprise Amazon package contained a phone-charging hand warmer, humidifier, flashlight and Bluetooth speaker, CBS reported. Those packages continued at a rate of about one or two a week.

In Massachusetts, Michael and Kelly Gallivan received a surprise Amazon package containing a phone-charging hand warmer, humidifier, flashlight and Bluetooth speaker, CBS reported. The packages, which started arriving in October 2017, continued at a rate of about one or two a week.

It’s Not A Victimless Spam

Getting free stuff may seem like a victimless scam, but at the very least, the recipient’s personal information has been compromise. Oftentimes, scammers obtain the personal information through nefarious means, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service warns, and they also may use it for other scams and illegal activities in the future.

There’s a “porch pirate” angle to the scam, too. In some instances, the scammer plan to steal the merchandise from the home before the resident is able to intercept it.

Here’s how the scam works:

The package is addressed to the recipient, but there is either no return address or the address may be of a retailer. The sender is usually an international, third-party seller who has found the recipient’s address online.

The intent is to give the impression the recipient is a verified buyer who has written positive online reviews of the merchandise. In fact, the sender has written a positive review in the recipient’s name to boost or inflate the products’ ratings and sales numbers, which the third party hopes will boost sales overall. The merchandise is usually cheap and has low shipping costs, which the scammers see a profitable payoff.

“The positive reviews are like gold. People are always looking for a new hole in the structure at Amazon to be able to put more fake positive reviews on them,” retail security expert Brian Kilcourse told CBS in 2019.

Keep The Merchandise

It’s OK to open and keep the merchandise and still be on the right side of the law, according to the Federal Trade Commission. If you opened the package and don’t like what’s inside, throw or give it away. Or, if the package is unopened and there’s a return address, mark it “return to sender” and the Postal Service will return it at no charge, according to the Postal Inspection Service.

Never offer to pay for the merchandise or allow yourself to be swindled into paying for it, the agency cautioned.

The Better Business Bureau points out that brushing scams and phony reviews are against Amazon’s policies, so if the package appeared to come from the online retailer, contact Amazon Customer Service, which will investigate and take action against the scammer, including withholding payments, suspending or removing selling privileges, or working with law enforcement.

Temu said in emailed statements to CBS MoneyWatch the company “strictly prohibits this practice” and will investigate and “take action against violators.” Anyone who receives packages from Temu that they didn’t order should contact the company.

If the package appears to come through another established business, go directly to their website to get their contact information. If you prefer to contact the business by phone, be cautious about searching for support phone numbers, the BBB advised.

Other tips from the BBB include:

• Attempt to identify the sender. If you can identify the sender of unordered packages, consider checking for potential false reviews in your name — and ask for the reviews to be removed.
• Check your account for recent orders. Some targets of brushing scams can be deluged with unordered packages, creating a serious problem. If this happens, consider whether to refuse package delivery at your home address and temporarily direct items that you did order to a package acceptance service.
• Change your account passwords. This may be a sign that personal information has been compromised, and to improve account security, keep a close eye on credit reports and credit card bills.
• Protect your identity. BBB advises taking all necessary precautions to prevent identity theft. Be careful when entering personal information online, and ensure you use a secure site.