The Holiday Brushing Scam Breakdown 

It’s that time of year when packages pile up on porches like elves have gone feral. So what do you do when a random Amazon box shows up addressed to you, containing a free bracelet or gadget you definitely did not order?

Well… congratulations, you did not win anything.

But a scammer just hit the jackpot, and they used your identity to do it.

Welcome to brushing season.

What’s Going On

It’s the holidays, which means boxes are piling up on doorsteps everywhere. But lately, people are receiving packages they never ordered, sometimes from Amazon, sometimes from a faceless “third-party seller,” and sometimes from no return address at all.

Inside? Random merchandise: bracelets, gadgets, household items, and strange sentimental trinkets sent with poetic notes like “To My Sister in Christ.”

If you didn’t order it, and no one you know sent it, then you’ve just been brushed.

According to the Better Business Bureau, brushing scams have been popping up nationwide. And while the items look harmless, the scam behind them is anything but.

One Ohio consumer reported receiving a bracelet in a white envelope from an unknown address. The tracking claimed it was ordered by someone in New York, and the packaging contained multiple QR codes the consumer wisely refused to scan.

This is not a gift. It’s a setup.

How It Works

Brushing scams exist for one purpose: falsifying “verified purchase” reviews.

Here’s how the con works:

  1. A shady third-party seller finds your name and address online.
  2. They ship you a product you never bought.
  3. Once the package is marked “delivered,” they use your identity to post a glowing review as a “verified buyer.”
  4. Their product gets boosted ratings and increased visibility.
  5. They make more sales.
  6. They lose no money because the “purchase” was made from their own account.

These sellers are essentially laundering product reviews, and your home address is the tool.

But there’s a more serious issue underneath.

If they had enough of your information to send merchandise in your name, they might have more than you think.

Red Flags

Common signs you’re being brushed include:

  • Packages arrive that you did not order.
  • No return address or a vague shipping label.
  • Tracking info lists another person as the buyer.
  • Items are cheap, generic, or strange.
  • Packages include QR codes or links encouraging you to “learn more.”
  • Multiple packages begin showing up in a short period.

If your porch suddenly becomes a drop-off zone for unsolicited trinkets, something is wrong.

What You Can Do

The BBB and retailers recommend the following steps:

  1. Confirm it’s not a real gift. Rare, but possible. Make sure a friend or family member didn’t send something.
  2. Contact the retailer. If it looks like it came from Amazon, use Amazon’s official site to reach customer service. Do not Google phone numbers. Amazon investigates brushing and takes action against third-party sellers who engage in it.
  3. Check your accounts. Review your recent orders and payment history. If you start receiving multiple unordered packages, consider refusing delivery or routing legitimate packages to a package acceptance service temporarily.
  4. Change your passwords. Treat any unsolicited package as a possible sign of compromised data. Update passwords on major accounts and keep a close eye on credit card statements.
  5. Monitor and protect your identity. Review your credit reports regularly and use secure websites when entering personal information.
  6. Report the incident. Contact your local Better Business Bureau and submit details through the BBB Scam Tracker.

Final Thoughts

Unsolicited packages may look like holiday luck, but brushing scams are designed to exploit your identity for someone else’s profit. The merchandise is merely the bait. The real goal is to turn you into a “verified buyer” without your consent and to inflate a seller’s reputation through fake reviews tied to your name.

Treat any surprise delivery as a warning, not a windfall. If something arrives that you didn’t order, don’t scan anything, don’t assume it’s harmless, and don’t ignore it. This is one scam where the box on your porch is the least concerning part of the package.

Further Reading