Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.

Brushing Scam: Mysterious Seed Packages from China
Brushing Scam Mysterious Seed Packages from China

There is a new Seed Package from China brushing scam, called Brishing by some, that is sweeping the nation, where people are receiving suspicious packages of seeds from China. A Brushing scam gives the illusion that the business is credible by finding a person's name and address online, sending the product to them, and writing a positive review using their names.

Mysterious Package of Seeds From China Brushing Scam

Mysterious Package of Seeds From China Brushing Scam

The Brushing Scam

The Brushing scam is exploited by a vendor and used to bolster product ratings and increase visibility online by shipping an inexpensive product to an unwitting receiver and then submitting positive reviews on the receiver's behalf under the guise of a verified owner.

People have received packages in the mail with Chinese writing and a return address in China. The package was labeled as containing jewelry but was found to have a small bag of what appeared to be seeds but were not ordered the recipients.

The investigating officer called the US Postal Inspector's office and learned that similar packages have recently been delivered to various homes across the country and is arriving on U.S. doorsteps. Therefore, if you receive any unsolicited packages from China or other foreign country, do not open them as the seeds may belong to invasive plant species. Instead, contact the USDA who will dispose of them for you.

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