Scams: Woman felt ‘violated’ after becoming victim of fraudsters
In the lead up to Black Friday and Christmas this scam has been doing the rounds recently. It’s not new but it’s on the increase. If you receive a package that is unexpected, it may be a brushing scam that online sellers use to falsely inflate review ratings and may mean your personal data has been compromised.
It involves people receiving an unexpected package from, for example, Amazon. You receive an unexpected package on your doorstep. It’s addressed to you so you open it and realise this was not something that you ordered. It could be an honest mistake somewhere up the line, but equally it could be what’s become known as a “Brushing Scam”.
Most e-commerce businesses such as Amazon or eBay sellers, rely on positive reviews and bold sales numbers to build their reputation. Brushing scams are used to game their apparent ratings and sales numbers. The scam itself is not necessarily overly dangerous to you if you receive an unexpected package, but it could also be an early warning that your identity has been compromised and you could become the subject of identity theft.
The user of a Brushing Scam gets your name and address. Then they set up a fake account in your name and then create the order. You receive the order, but then the scammer posts a fake review, 5-stars of course, in your name. The review is marked as a “verified buyer” because it has your name on it, linked to the fake account.
There’s no…
