Hudson Valley Shoppers Beware: I Fell Victim to a Brushing Scam

I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to online fraud, but even I was not safe from becoming part of a brushing scam.

It turns out there's absolutely nothing I could have done to avoid being tangled in this nefarious activity. And while none of my personal information or financial accounts have been affected, it is still a bit unsettling to be used by scammers.

For those who are unfamiliar with a brushing scam, the person targeted is actually rewarded. Instead of having something stolen from them, they actually receive free items. In my case, I was sent a pair of shoes.

While this may seem like something to feel lucky about, it's the consequences of those free items that can wind up being harmful.

What is a Brushing Scam?

The ugly pair of size-11 clogs that showed up at my home is most likely part of a scheme known as brushing. Scammers send real packages to real addresses so they can mark the sale as “verified” on websites like Amazon and leave glowing reviews for their own products online.

While the items are usually legit, occasionally people will receive a blank piece of paper or even a package of seeds. The idea is for the scammer to show a successfully shipped package on their account so they can write a positive review for whatever they claimed was purchased.

Those reviews then appear to be from actual paying customers. The scammer racks up stars and credibility, tricking shoppers into thinking they are buying a solid product when they are not.

How to Protect Yourself From a Brushing Scam

The strange thing is that brushing scams are actually not dangerous to the person receiving the mystery box. You're not charged for anything and your account isn't hacked. The scammer simply uses the transaction sent to your address to make their fake review look legitimate.

There's not much you can do to stop someone from sending you a free item. Homeowner records and other online databases are easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection, so everyone is potentially a victim.

While the recipient of the free item is not harmed, buyers who rely on reviews are the ones who become the real victims. They'll wind up seeing a five-star rating and assume they are ordering something decent, only to wind up with a product that looks a lot more like the cheap shoes that showed up at my door.

I looked up the reviews for the shoes I received from Amazon and it became clear that a majority of them appeared to be fake. Alleged buyers named "Enjoy Reviews", "Happy Customer" and even "Christine Butt" were all written in broken English and a bit way too enthusiastic considering how cheap and ugly the $33 shoes are.

What to Do If It Happens to You

If a mystery box lands on your porch here in the Hudson Valley, you do not need to send it back and you do not need to pay for it. You can keep it or throw it out. But you should keep an eye on your account and if you want to be extra cautious, you could change your password, which is a good idea to do every few months or so anyway.

Retailers, such as Amazon, encourage people to report these free items so they can track the order and stop scammers from publishing fake reviews. Safety experts suggest going directly to the website yourself. Scanning codes or visiting links included in the package you receive may actually lead you to another online scam that could actually steal your login or financial information.

As for me, the cheap Birkenstock rip-offs are going straight into the donation pile.