Unsolicited parcels arriving at your door could be part of a 'brushing' scam, a fraudulent practice that exploits personal data to generate fake product reviews. Thousands of Americans recently received mystery packets of seeds, but the scam is not new and has now been flagged as a growing concern in the UK.
The scam works when a seller creates fake accounts using stolen or publicly available personal details, orders their own low-cost products, and has them delivered to unsuspecting individuals. The seller then posts positive reviews from each 'verified purchase' account, boosting their product's rating and visibility on platforms like Amazon.
While it may seem harmless, the scam relies on data breaches, meaning recipients may have had their information compromised elsewhere. Campaign group Which? has investigated the practice since 2018 and advises reporting any unsolicited goods to the platform involved.
Professor Alan Woodward, a cyber-security expert at the University of Surrey, warns that fake reviews remain effective: 'Like it or not, we do all look at the reviews... if it says it's from a verified purchaser, we're less likely to think twice.' Citizens' Advice clarifies that if an item is addressed to you and you had no prior contact with the seller, you can keep it, but items delivered by mistake must be returned.
