Brushing scams: What you need to know, and how to stay safe

What is a brushing scam?

A brushing scam is a fraudulent e-commerce tactic in which sellers send unsolicited packages to people. The goal is to artificially boost their sales and increase the product’s ranking through fake transactions. The criminals also create and post fake reviews alongside the fraudulent sales, which is why such scams are also known as review brushing.

Why is it called a brushing scam?

In the context of online scams, the term “brushing” comes from Chinese e-commerce circles and refers to the practice of “brushing up” sales results. By creating fake orders and sending large numbers of parcels, sellers “brush up,” or improve, their sales numbers to elevate their rating and appear more reputable on online marketplaces.

How does a brushing scam work?

A scammer sends packages with cheap goods to people who did not order them and uses their real names and addresses. Scammers usually obtain this information by illicit means, like buying it on the dark web or extracting it from breached data packages.

But let’s look at the process step by step. First, the scammer creates a fake account on an e-commerce platform where they sell their products. Then they use the fake account to place an order for their own products and send them to a recipient whose name and address they obtained illegitimately. Once the unsolicited package is delivered, the scammer writes a fake review on their own seller account, praising the item.

Typically, fraudsters send out cheap items, like fake jewelry, inexpensive electronic goods, or flower seeds. So if you receive a parcel you did not order and find a fake ring or necklace upon opening it, it’s highly likely you’ve been targeted by scammers. The more items they send out and the more positive reviews they fabricate, the more visible their account becomes and the more credible it appears to potential buyers.

Main risks related to brushing scams

Although brushing scams might appear as a mere annoyance or an unexpected gift, they actually pose risks to your personal safety both online and physically.

• Personal data exposure. If you receive an unexpected package that is not a gift, your personal information, like your full name and home address, has likely been compromised. This might mean that your data was leaked in a data breach, that your account has been hacked, or that the scammer bought your data in an illegal marketplace. They also might have obtained some more sensitive personal information about you that they could use to commit identity theft.
• Account suspension. If someone writes fake reviews in your name to boost the sales of fraudulent products, the e-commerce platform might restrict or suspend your account while they investigate the review-brushing case.
• Misleading consumers. If you come across a seller’s account with fake reviews and artificially inflated product ratings and don’t recognize that the account is fraudulent, you might purchase poor-quality goods or receive something different than what you ordered. The fraudulent seller might also provide you with a fake tracking number and send you nothing.
• Safety concerns. Some items sent in brushing scams, like flower seeds from a distant or unspecified location, might pose a risk to the local ecosystem. Physical health risks caused by unknown or hazardous items, such as cosmetic products, supplements, or medications containing harsh chemicals, are another issue for the recipient.

Signs you may be a victim of a brushing scam

Getting an unknown parcel isn’t always an indication of a brushing scam — someone might’ve sent you a gift on a special occasion without a forewarning. However, if you notice suspicious patterns after accepting the parcel, it’s possible that you’ve been unwittingly scammed.

• Unsolicited packages from unknown senders. One unexpected order with your address attached to it might just be an error. However, if you start seeing more strange parcels you didn’t order appear in a short time, your information might be used by the scammers.
• Packages in your name with an unfamiliar return address. If the return address is from a different country or if you can’t find any results while looking it up online, it may be a cover-up used by illicit sellers.
• Tracking information for deliveries you didn’t order. Scam emails with fraudulent tracking numbers aren’t unusual, and brushing scams use a variation of them. The tracking link appears legitimate and contains live updates — the problem is, you never bought the item in the first place.
• Unexpected changes to your online shopping accounts. If you receive updates on your account status, like attempts to change your username or password, update the email address, or get requests to post reviews for products you didn’t buy, your online shopping accounts might be compromised.
• Reviews are being made in your name. If scammers gain access to your full name or username on the e-commerce site, they can write fake reviews pretending to be you, even if you’ve never bought their products.
• Suspicious emails about new orders and status updates. A brushing scam can point to a broader data breach that affects your email address. You might receive emails confirming your purchases and linking to a tracking page from websites that you haven’t heard of before.

What to do if you've received a brushing scam package

It’s not immediately obvious what you should do if a brushing scam package lands at your doorstep. After all, it might seem innocent enough — the items are usually low value and innocuous enough for you to consider using them or just throwing them out.

However, you shouldn’t use or dispose of any suspiciously delivered products under any circumstances. These items can act as viable proof if the parcel is part of a brushing scam. Using these items might also be hazardous to your health. Instead, ensure you keep the entire package intact.

Document the details related to the package. Look up the return address and see if any invoice that might have relevant information is included. Check your phone and email inbox for missed calls, text messages, or unread emails that could be related to the parcel. Contact the shipping company to see if they have more information about the parcel and where it was sent from.

If the sender has provided contact information, try to reach out by sending them an email. If they respond, make sure you save proof of this communication. Report the incident to the authorities or the national consumer protection agency. If you’re in the US, you can also report the parcel and the company that sent it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for potential e-commerce fraud or scam.

How to report a brushing scam if you’ve become a victim

If you think you’ve been hit by a brushing scam, you should notify the online marketplace about the unsolicited package by filling out a report form on its website. Typically, you will find the link to the report form on the platform’s help and customer support page or in the FAQ section.

Keep in mind that the package you received might simply be a mistake within the supply chain of the e-commerce platform. If the platform doesn’t know about the package and it’s not a gift, it’s most likely a scam. By inquiring the platform directly, you can get formal confirmation if the incident was deliberate or accidental.

How to stop brushing scams

Preventing brushing scams as a consumer can appear impossible because you only become aware of the scam when you receive the parcel. However, to help stop brushing scams, you should ensure your account and personal information are safe and that you’re not accidentally feeding into the online scam trend.

• If your personal data was compromised, you should change the passwords to your online marketplace and email accounts. If possible, switch on two-factor authentication for your accounts to add an extra layer of security.
• Report the packages you did not order to the seller’s platform. Seller representatives may be able to track down the sender and take action to stop their scamming efforts.
• Be wary of sellers with the highest ratings. Carefully read reviews to make sure they sound legitimate and were written by real buyers. If too many reviews sound similar or use repetitive phrases, they might be fake. A large number of positive reviews posted around the same time might also indicate a red flag. Genuine reviews tend to share details about the product or shipping experience.
• Don’t buy items with too-good-to-be-true offers. Extremely low prices outside sales might point toward a scam. Compare item prices with those of other sellers or on different retailers. Check the number of sales made — fake sellers will usually have a number far more inflated than their rivals’.
• Buy from reputable sellers. Check the seller’s history — a long-standing presence typically indicates reliability. Always inspect the quality of the products in their photos and videos. Beware of sellers who use stock and AI-generated images or blurry photos taken from other sources. If you'd like to learn more, you can also read our guide on Etsy scams.

How to protect yourself from brushing scams

You can never be guaranteed that an unknown parcel won’t randomly show up at your home one day. However, you can take steps to protect your privacy and avoid becoming a target of a brushing scam.

• Check your personal information for breaches. Fraudsters usually get personal information for their scams from the dark web. Run a dark web monitoring tool to check if your credentials or other personally identifiable information have been compromised.
• Monitor your online shopping accounts for unusual activity. Keep an eye on your purchase, wishlist, and review activity and watch out for any changes to your payment details and address attached to the account.
• Review e-commerce sites before signing up or buying. The best practice for stopping brushing scams is to avoid making accounts on suspicious retail sites altogether. Check whether the platform you want to buy from looks legitimate. It might just be a front to gather your information and use it for other scams.
• Review your credit card reports regularly. If your credit card information has been compromised, scammers might attempt to make purchases from their e-commerce marketplaces to boost sales. This can lead to suspicious parcels being sent to your address.
• Update your login credentials. If you notice attempts to access your account or requests for password resets, or if you find your login credentials on the dark web, update them immediately. Use a complex password containing a mix of random letters, numbers, and special characters. Whenever possible, use multi-factor authentication for extra security.