Is anyone familiar with the e-commerce “brushing” scam?

[Eppy99]

A couple weeks ago I got a very random Amazon package delivered. It was sent to my home address with my name on it.

Inside was a package of Chinese Silk Wrapping Papers. There was no slip inside and no return address. The mystery begins here. I proceeded to text family and friends to see if someone sent these to me. Nobody knew what I was talking about. The item didn’t show up on my purchased items either.

So I called Amazon and told them what happened. Apparently for security reasons Amazon is not obligated to tell you who sent you the package and that was the end of the call.

So I was telling my cousin about this tonight and he said he read something about this very problem. I’m hoping that I was randomly picked and there isn’t any further hacking or information collecting be done towards me.

Anyone had this happen to them or familiar with this?

http://mentalfloss.com/article/567488/beware-amazon-packages-you-didnt-order-ecommerce-scam

 

[Brockway]

A couple weeks ago I got a very random Amazon package delivered. It was sent to my home address with my name on it.

Inside was a package of Chinese Silk Wrapping Papers. There was no slip inside and no return address. The mystery begins here. I proceeded to text family and friends to see if someone sent these to me. Nobody knew what I was talking about. The item didn’t show up on my purchased items either.

So I called Amazon and told them what happened. Apparently for security reasons Amazon is not obligated to tell you who sent you the package and that was the end of the call.

So I was telling my cousin about this tonight and he said he read something about this very problem. I’m hoping that I was randomly picked and there isn’t any further hacking or information collecting be done towards me.

Anyone had this happen to them or familiar with this?

http://mentalfloss.com/article/567488/beware-amazon-packages-you-didnt-order-ecommerce-scam

Keep an eye on your accounts. Several years ago, I received a couple of low $ items in the mail. Soon after, some higher $ items were purchased with my credit card. The bank said this is a common practice to test a newly stolen CC # with low $ purchases before going for the higher $ thefts.

 

[Eppy99]

Keep an eye on your accounts. Several years ago, I received a couple of low $ items in the mail. Soon after, some higher $ items were purchased with my credit card. The bank said this is a common practice to test a newly stolen CC # with low $ purchases before going for the higher $ thefts.

The major difference however is the items are being sent to me.

 

[Brockway]

The major difference however is the items are being sent to me.

I received a book and something else (can't remember) delivered to my house. This 'brushing' thing does seem a little different, but watch your accounts.

 

[Hank Reardon]

Hopefully I fall victim to this. Perhaps there's an 80 inch flat screen that needs a few positive reviews.

 

[hookyIU1990]

A credit freeze can be a good idea. I had one on both of my kids when they were younger and I have one on my wife and I right now. Clark Howard is mentioned in the link you posted. He has a step by step guide on how to freeze your credit and what the implications of doing it are.

 

[twenty02]

You people are paranoid.

That brings us to the bad news. If you’re the victim of a brushing scam, that means your personal information—your name and shipping address, at the very least—have likely been compromised.
​

WTF? You mean your name and address are publicly available? No kidding.....you'd have to make a real effort to not make it so. All one has to do is look up online property tax records to easily find that (assuming you are not in some kind of white pages).

 

[hookyIU1990]

You people are paranoid.

That brings us to the bad news. If you’re the victim of a brushing scam, that means your personal information—your name and shipping address, at the very least—have likely been compromised.
​

WTF? You mean your name and address are publicly available? No kidding.....you'd have to make a real effort to not make it so. All one has to do is look up online property tax records to easily find that (assuming you are not in some kind of white pages).

It's a fake account with your Personally Identifiable Info (PII) being used. Maybe it's just your name and shipping info, but it's probably more than that. You can take name and address as a start, but start connecting a phone #, maiden names, and the wonka golden ticket - SS#, then you're in a really bad spot. Combine that with shared crappy passwords, oversharing on social media and other carelessness, you're now a prime target for identity theft and worth something to the people buying info for unscrupulous reasons.

We've got an entire group of people who are responsible for PII best practices, because our clients are willing to pay big $$ to mitigate their risk of being held responsible for a customer's ID theft. The kind of stuff we can start piecing together on you based on just visiting a website is scary enough. If we know who you are when you visit one of our client's sites (logged in), then there's all kinds of legal obligations for protecting the data we use. Have you agreed to the oath thing yet on Rivals? Read the fine print in that within the context of PII.

 

[twenty02]

It's a fake account with your Personally Identifiable Info (PII) being used. Maybe it's just your name and shipping info, but it's probably more than that. You can take name and address as a start, but start connecting a phone #, maiden names, and the wonka golden ticket - SS#, then you're in a really bad spot. Combine that with shared crappy passwords, oversharing on social media and other carelessness, you're now a prime target for identity theft and worth something to the people buying info for unscrupulous reasons.

We've got an entire group of people who are responsible for PII best practices, because our clients are willing to pay big $$ to mitigate their risk of being held responsible for a customer's ID theft. The kind of stuff we can start piecing together on you based on just visiting a website is scary enough. If we know who you are when you visit one of our client's sites (logged in), then there's all kinds of legal obligations for protecting the data we use. Have you agreed to the oath thing yet on Rivals? Read the fine print in that within the context of PII.

No, and I don't really care to. I have monitors on all my CCs and credit report. And an identity theft policy for shits and giggles. Beyond that....not really going to obsess over it.

If someone sends me some free shit in off chance I'll review it on Amazon (which I wouldn't).....I'm wouldn't spend 5 secs thinking about it.

 

[hookyIU1990]

No, and I don't really care to. I have monitors on all my CCs and credit report. And an identity theft policy for shits and giggles. Beyond that....not really going to obsess over it.

If someone sends me some free shit in off chance I'll review it on Amazon (which I wouldn't).....I'm wouldn't spend 5 secs thinking about it.

They're not sending it to you, hoping you'll review it. They've set up a fake account with your info and they're reviewing it with your name and info attached to the review as though it was you.

You have monitors on your CC's & credit report and an identity theft policy, but everyone else who is concerned about something you don't even appear to understand is paranoid. Got it.

 

[The Vid]

Open it, check for weed, discard. Solved.

 

[twenty02]

They're not sending it to you, hoping you'll review it. They've set up a fake account with your info and they're reviewing it with your name and info attached to the review as though it was you.

You have monitors on your CC's & credit report and an identity theft policy, but everyone else who is concerned about something you don't even appear to understand is paranoid. Got it.

Someone said the grift goal was to get them a review. I follow now.... interesting idea....don't see it as a concern of the receiver other than to mess up their Amazon account.

Agree everyone should be doing something to monitor their real money and credit. But thought that should be a given

 

[Eppy99]

I feel Amazon should be doing more to clean up this activity.

 

[BorisSutherland]

Never heard of it. Don’t think Amazon works like that, it’s too cheesy my friend. If something like that would be possible, other countries could send anthrax and other types of viruses. It’s not a child game to be so naive and believe, it’s a prank from your friend or something like that. Everything is monitored especially now in 2020. Robots works, and delivers have full info of both ends with their data in his mini computer. This is the list https://iliketodabble.com/best-selling-apps of websites that provides best services around the world, where you can sell everything what is legal, and be sure that it will end positively.

 

[Eppy99]

Never heard of it.

Boris are you stalking me? You have two measely messages and both were in my useless threads.

 

[willisidi]

I think you have a secret admirer.

 

[Bedivir]

If you are still worried about problems with the law, it is better not to open the parcel within 20 days. If your information is listed on the box, then you can safely open it. There are many services on the Internet that show to whom a parcel is intended. The development of the Internet amazes me. Recently I found a step-by-step instruction https://dm4l.co.uk/seo-agency/how-to-merge-website how to merge two websites into one. I didn't know it was even possible.

 

[ce36ei]

It happened to me but the items were addressed to an old man who had died that previously lived there. Got 4 things in 4 days. Called Amazon and explained it, they closed the account and told me to keep the stuff. Never got another item.