Need Some Help with potential Scam

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leehljp

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I have received two packages in the mail that I did not order. One last week and one this week. Both small.

The first was from an Amazon affiliate in Kentucky. Amazon told me to keep the package (a lint roller).

Today, I received in the mail (USPS) a package that looked like "Amazons small package", and it was a single linen napkin (not diapers to my Aussie friends). After checking it over and inside, I realized it was not from Amazon as the first one was. There was no company name for the sender, just an address that I checked online to a warehouse location in Indiana, but no name of the company.

I also did a google search for receiving unordered packages to a specific address or names. There is a kind of scam called "brushing" which I had never heard of, but I have now. It seems to be a predecessor to more down the line, but I may be reading too much into it.

Neither of the two packages are worth more than about $5.00 US.

I went to my local post office and they could not offer any help other than report it online to USPS.

Amazon Customer Service asked me if someone that I knew could have ordered it (for the package last week). My girls would have told me if they had. I named all of the family members that could have and they said that it was not them, but they could not divulge the information of WHO, if I did not name them. At least they have a name for the first package. I may call them back and have them flag that in case I do get any more.

Anyone get packages like this? Do you know of specific scams? Any information would be helpful. Am I too suspicious? Two unordered packages in two weeks can't be a coincidence, IMO.

PS - I do have some packages on order from a couple of places, and because I was expecting them, I did not bother checking WHERE they were from before opening. I will from now on though.


(The people on this forum have a wide range of experiences and expertise and I value it. So, I wanted to put it before you. Thanks in advance.)
 
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Fred Bruche

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That "brushing" scam is set up so that the sender/seller can legitimately leave positive feedback on an item in an attempt to boost sales by giving the impression that it's a great item because of very positive feedback from happy (fake) customers. My understanding is there are no consequences you should be concerned about, other than keeping that scheme in mind next time you are looking to purchase a lint roller or napkins online with impressive positive feedback.
 

leehljp

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Thanks fellows. There is one strange part for me though, The second package did not give a name or store to write a review about; the first, it was shipped from Amazon with the sender/orderer - that also is anonymous to me. I couldn't leave a feedback on either as I don't know who they are.

Time to change my passwords!

Fred, I re-read your explanation - Now I get it - they send me things and then THEY give a review using my name.
 
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KenB259

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I think it was the same about a year ago when many people were getting small packages of unidentified seeds.
 

leehljp

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Two years ago, I did receive, with MY address on the labels but a construction company name on the label, from UPS - 12 boxes of industrial highly expensive metal marine screws (about 30 - 40 lbs for each box), and when I called the manufacturer and sending company (in Dallas), they were VERY appreciative. A representative from Memphis was here the next day to pick them up; he told me there was one box missing from the original shipment, and that I may get it later. The company headquarters was only a few miles from my daughter in Dallas. The delayed box showed up two weeks later, and even though I called the representative, he didn't respond. So I carried the box to the main company in Dallas when visiting my daughter. The guy that opened the box, looked at the screws and mumbled something about someone might lose their job. Was told it was worth a small fortune. I got a T-shirt out of it.
 

monophoto

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Years ago, there was a scam in one would receive something in the mail that had not been ordered or requested. Subsequently, the vendor would sent the recipient an invoice. Legally, the fact that the recipient had not requested or ordered the item meant that there was no obligation to actually pay for it, but that was not widely known, so many people did pay. This was sometimes referred to as an 'on spec' because the vendor initiated the transaction 'on speculation'.

I had two recent instances in which I ordered a tool from Amazon, and they erroneously shipped two of the tools instead of the one that I had ordered. In both cases, the items were tools - and when I reached out to them to ask what to do, they apologized for their error and told me that it wasn't necessary for me to return the extra items. So I'm not complaining - in one case, the tool is something that can easily break, so having a spare is comforting. And in the other, well the next time my wife has a garage sale, I will be offering that spare boxed set of S&D drill bits.

That said, I periodically get e-mails from a bank claiming that a credit card transaction has been denied for some reason, and I need to log into a web site to resolve the matter. The fact that I don't have any association with that bank tells me that this is some kind of phishing scam, so I send those e-mails directly to the trash folder.

In the cases that Hank has experienced, I think the best thing to do is nothing. The legal principle that the recipient has absolutely no obligation to pay for items that he did not order/request was established long ago. Checking with Amazon is one thing - Amazon is a known entity and is unlikely to be engaged in a spam. But I would suggest not trying to probe any further to determine who originated these shipments; like the phone credit card e-mail scam, that could open the door to some new racket.
 
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leehljp

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Thanks Louie.

My real fear is some kind of scam or phishing for a minor tidbit of information here and there to build up enough information for possibly identify theft. In some cases identity theft starts that way.
 

penicillin

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Verified purchase reviews on Amazon are powerful and valuable. They are worth more than you think.

Shipping lightweight, low-cost items to known, but unrelated addresses provides the package tracking and delivery information that Amazon uses to determine that the reviewed product was delivered, even though what is in the actual package does not match the item listed on Amazon. This ordered-shipped-delivered chain allows the shipper to post a "verified purchase" false positive review for their product, which is unrelated to what you actually received. The seller used your address to avoid traceability and give themselves plausible deniability. Here is an article in the popular media describing the scam:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/23/business/package-didnt-order-brushing/index.html

Brushing is not the only type of review manipulation at Amazon. Negative reviews are also targeted. There are also cases where buyers received defective products and posted negative reviews on Amazon. In addition to remitting the expected refunds, the sellers offered bribes to the buyers in return for editing or deleting the negative reviews. The offered bribes vary, but are often Amazon gift cards.

Another type of review manipulation I see are buyers who game the review and Q&A processes. I am not sure of the motives, but I believe they may be attempts to become "influencers", hoping to receive free items for "review." These buyers post useless five-star reviews like, "I bought this, but haven't opened the package yet." They respond to buyer questions with nonsense answers. Example: Q: "Will this item fit my XYZ lathe?" A: "I don't know."

Related, but trying not to hijack the thread: Don't ask me about eBay scams that I know. Buyers and sellers take eBay scams to a new level above Amazon.
 

GuyOwen

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my thought is one of the wood working companies sold your info or has some sort of back door to the shipping info and someone is exploiting it to brushing there should be some concern over how safe the websites are and if the people running the sites are on the up and up
 

penicillin

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my thought is one of the wood working companies sold your info or has some sort of back door to the shipping info and someone is exploiting it to brushing there should be some concern over how safe the websites are and if the people running the sites are on the up and up
Do not jump to conclusions about how @leehljp's address was obtained. Attribution is notoriously difficult. Even the information security professionals at affected companies (e.g., Amazon) and those working in law enforcement have great difficulty identifying the perpetrators and their sources.

I would not assume that it can be traced to any woodworking companies, Amazon, or any other specific source. The address could just have easily come from a local retailer, medical records, voter registration, many other public records, or [you-name-it-fill-in-the-blank] as long as the chosen delivery address is valid.
 

magpens

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Curiously coincidental .....

I received an email this morning, stating that there is a parcel ready to be delivered to me.
The contents of the parcel were not described or identified in any way.
Delivery would take place, the email said, as soon as my approval was received.
The sender's address was not recognizable in any way.
I did not give my approval and I did not click on any part of the message content. . I deleted the email.

It would seem that this might be part of a scam similar to that which is the subject of this thread. . Thanks for the alert !!!
 

leehljp

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my thought is one of the wood working companies sold your info or has some sort of back door to the shipping info and someone is exploiting it to brushing there should be some concern over how safe the websites are and if the people running the sites are on the up and up
As Penicillin mentioned, I am not one free with my name, address, email or phone except for well trusted sights. However, I know that all one has to do is find a little information, start searching wood workers for a town or city, and before long a small fact sheet can be assembled on many. Same can be said if anyone knows somebody's hobby or likes. I am on Facebook but only check out family and friends but do not post. FB reveals too much in what people post and in what they track.

I am careful with mine but I know most of the guys on here, with a little bit of digging and tracing, one could find much more than most of you would want to reveal.

I am well aware of people having been tracked back in the late '90s and officials in another country waiting on them as they arrived. Only a single email with in a distant country mentioned anything about the trips. (BTW one couple lost their lives as a result and that was 22-23 years ago). And today, people are too free with their information.
 
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