Just last month, a package showed up at my door. Plain brown box, my address, but absolutely no memory of ordering whatever was rattling inside. It was a cheap, plastic phone holder – something I’d never buy. My first thought wasn’t ‘free stuff!’ but ‘here we go again.’ It felt like a classic brushing scam, and I knew I needed to deal with it properly, not just ignore it.
The temptation is to just shrug it off, maybe keep the item or toss it. But that’s a mistake, in my book. Ignoring it lets the scammers get away with it, and it leaves your personal information hanging out there, potentially linked to fake reviews or worse. These scams are designed to inflate seller ratings, using your address to make it look like a legitimate purchase and delivery. My approach focuses on documentation and official reporting, which is a bit more work, but it reliably covers your bases and helps prevent future issues for you and others.
How to Handle a Brushing Scam Package
Step 1: Inspect the Package (Carefully)
Before you even think about opening it, give the package a good look-over. I’m talking about the outside. Look for:
- Sender Information: Is there a return address? Is it a name you recognize? Often, it’s a vague ‘fulfillment center’ or a company you’ve never heard of.
- Shipping Carrier: Note whether it’s UPS, FedEx, USPS, or another carrier. This matters for reporting.
- Condition: Is it damaged? Does it look like it’s been tampered with?
- Contents (if visible): Sometimes you can tell what’s inside from the label or a peek through a tear. Note it down.
Step 2: Document Everything
This is crucial. Before you do anything else, grab your phone or a camera. Take clear pictures of the entire package – all sides, the shipping label (make sure the tracking number and any sender info are legible), and any barcodes. Write down the tracking number, the sender’s name and address (even if it’s just ‘Warehouse FBA’), and the date it arrived. I keep a simple text file or a note on my phone for this kind of stuff, just so I have a paper trail.
Step 3: Check Your Accounts and Statements
Log into your usual online shopping accounts – Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, whatever you use. Check your order history. Look for anything that matches the package description or delivery date, or anything you simply don’t remember ordering. Do the same with your credit card and bank statements. Not just for this month, but the previous one too; sometimes these things are delayed or processed oddly. You’re looking for unauthorized charges or suspicious orders.
Step 4: Report to the Shipping Carrier
Once you’ve got your documentation, contact the carrier. Most carriers have an online form or a specific number for reporting suspicious packages. This is what I do:
- UPS: Go to ups.com, search for ‘report suspicious package’ or ‘fraudulent delivery.’ They usually want the tracking number and a brief explanation.
- FedEx: Similar process. Check fedex.com for their fraud reporting section.
- USPS: For unsolicited mail, you can often write ‘REFUSED’ on it and put it back in the mail if it’s unopened. For something already delivered, I’d report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at uspstips.gov. They have a form for mail fraud.
Tell them you received a package you didn’t order and suspect it’s part of a brushing scam. Give them the tracking number and any sender info you have.
Step 5: Report to the Retailer (If Identifiable)
If you can connect the package to a specific retailer (often indicated by the label or the item itself, e.g., ‘Sold by XYZ on Amazon’), contact their customer service. Be very clear: “I received an unsolicited package that appears to be part of a brushing scam. I did not order this, and I want to report it as fraud.” Ask specifically for their fraud department or security team. Give them all the details you’ve documented.
Step 6: Consider Credit Monitoring
While this isn’t usually an identity theft situation in the immediate sense, it’s not a bad time for a quick check. Pull a free credit report from annualcreditreport.com, just to make sure nothing else looks amiss. It’s good security hygiene, and it makes me feel better knowing I’ve double-checked.
Step 7: What to Do With the Item
Once you’ve reported it through the proper channels, the item itself isn’t really your problem anymore. Don’t return it yourself – you’d just be doing the scammer’s legwork and potentially incurring costs. If the retailer wants it back, they’ll arrange pickup and provide a label. Otherwise, I usually hold onto it for a few weeks in case someone asks for more info, then it’s a freebie for me or goes to the donation bin. For small, cheap items, sometimes the trash can is the easiest route, but only after you’ve covered all your bases with documentation and reporting.
Common mistakes
My first time dealing with one of these, it was a tiny, cheap USB light. I just tossed it in the trash without a second thought. Figured it was a fluke. Then a few weeks later, another one arrived, and I realized I should have documented the first one, just in case there was a pattern. Missed opportunity for data. Rookie move, even for me back then, and it just made the second report less complete. Don’t do that.
Another common mistake I see people make is assuming it’s a gift or ignoring it completely. While it might be a genuine mistake or a gift from a forgetful relative, the methodical approach above covers all possibilities. People also sometimes try to return the item on their own dime or without going through the official reporting channels, which is usually unnecessary and just creates more hassle for them.
Finally, don’t panic. This isn’t usually a sign of immediate identity theft. It’s more about manipulating online reviews. Stay calm, stick to the steps, and you’ll handle it just fine.
Being methodical and documenting every step is your best defense against these low-stakes but annoying intrusions.
