'Brushing' scam has online shoppers in Metro Detroit on alert as packages arrive at their front door
Beware of 'Brushing' scam as packages arrive at your front door
Every year, consumers hear about a new one just about every week as would-be crooks try their best to get our cash. At first, it appears to be a pleasant surprise. You open your mailbox and there it is, a new item in the packaging with your name on it.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - It's easy to get caught up in the holiday rush and let your guard down when it comes to scams.
Every year, consumers hear about a new one just about every week as would-be crooks try their best to get our cash. At first, it appeared to be a pleasant surprise. You open your mailbox and there it is, a new item in the packaging with your name on it.
"It sounds like it’s not a big deal when you're getting something for free. You have to remember your information was obtained," said president of Flow Specialty David Derigiotis. "Brushing scams are a type of e-commerce scam."
That’s why this tactic is labeled a scam. They’re not new, but this unsolicited merchandise scam is being felt by more and more consumers every day.
"What they do is they send a package, and usually it is something very lightweight, it can be seeds, it can be fake jewelry, it can be small electronics and what they do is they post a fake review under the individual’s name online, trying to lift their sales up and their overall search and legitimacy when others find them," said Derigiotis.
As soon as you receive one of these packages, cyber risk experts say you need to consider the following
"You do need to think about what are the long term effects of this happening? How could my identification be used for either identity theft or some type of other fraud," said Derigiotis.
Part of this scam could include a QR-Code for the unsuspecting recipient to scan.
"I do not recommend that anybody scan a QR code. You could end up with some type of malware, some type of virus, on your device if you do that. Throw it away," Derigiotis said.
Cyber Risk Experts say there are a number you can do with that unsolicited item. You can toss it in the trash barns, it back to the sender, or you can keep it.
You can make your voice heard to help prevent this scam from happening again.
"You can certainly go to government authorities, the FTC tracks scams and complaints for online cyber-related crime, so that is an important step that I think everybody can do as well," Derigiotis said.