BBB: Don’t brush off unexpected packages INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about brushing scams. Here’s how the scam works. You receive a package in the mail you did not order, but it’s addressed to you. Inside, it could be empty or contain so mething random like clothes or books. “You might receive really cheap jewelry, kids’ toys. I’ve seen one where someone received just a hair clip, and that’s usually indicative of a brushing scam,” Trinity Rairdon, a spokesperson at the BBB, Central Indiana said. It happened to Theresa Lloyd in Evansville. “I should have been smart enough not to open it, but people order a lot of things, and sometimes it doesn’t come from where you think it’s supposed to come from,” Lloyd said. “I opened it, and it was an empty package, and there was nothing in it.” It’s called a brushing scam because the scammers are trying to “brush up” their reputations. In the world of online shopping, competition is fierce. Scammers are creating fake customer accounts purchasing their own products, shipping them to you, and then posting fake positive reviews to improve their ratings. They send you an actual package to create a real tracking number, which helps satisfy “proof of delivery” requirements on online marketplaces. “A lot of the time, it won’t have a company name on it, or if it does, it will be a really one-off, weird company name that you don’t you don’t recognize,” Rairdon said. “ So, look for unknown senders.” In Theresa Lloyd’s case, her package came from “Davve Garzaz.” Indiana’s I-Team found 67 complaints filed this year with Indiana’s BBB Scam Tracker about brushing scams involving the name “Dave Garzaz.” The BBB says it’s just one of many fake names the scammers use. Bad actors even have a new version called “quishing” where they will include a card inside the package with a QR code to scan. “They’ll say ‘look into the sender here’ or ‘find more information about your package here’, for example,” Rairdon said. But when you scan it, scammers can take your personal information. “Never scan any sort of QR code,” Rairdon said. “I tell consumers to treat these like a phishing text or a suspicious email. You wouldn’t click on any sort of odd links on your phone, and so you shouldn’t be engaging with any sort of odd materials you receive physically.” The U.S. Postal Inspector issued a public service announcement about how to protect yourself. “Unsolicited merchandise is yours to keep,” the PSA said. “If you did not order the package you do not need to return it.” You can also mark it “return to sender” and the U.S. Postal Service will return it at no charge to you. TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF: Change your account passwords: Your personal information may have been compromised. Closely monitor: Closely monitor your credit reports and credit card bills. Suspicious contents: If you are wary of the contents inside an unsolicited package, please follow the instructions on the U.S. Postal Inspector’s SUSPICIOUS MAIL page. Notify the retailer: If unsolicited merchandise arrives from Amazon, eBay, or another third-party seller, go to that company’s website and file a fraud report. Ask the company to remove any fake reviews under your name. ...read more read less