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Abstract

ts a few months earlier; maybe someone sent a present to me this time!I opened and found a set of pooping bags for dogs with two bone-shaped containers to hang at the dog leash.Now I’m confused. “Is this a way to say “go shit” to me? Who on Earth have I pissed off so much to send me such a gift?”I texted a friend of mine; maybe it was a joke from him. Nope, it wasn’t him.More puzzled than ever, I took the box and put it away. I will gift it to someone; I don’t need it.Days go by, and another package arrived. This time was a baby monitor. “Great!” I think, “I will give it to one of my pregnant friends!”Then, another box arrived. And another one. No matter the day of the week, I received a package of face masks on Sunday.Somehow I never managed to pick a box; they were either left on my garden wall or given to my parents.After about six packages, I finally decide to get in touch with Amazon customer service. In the meanwhile, I also did some research online.The Amazon employee kindly asked me what I received, the code on the packages labels, and the content details.He asked me if I had more than one account and if I was sure those weren’t gifts from friends. I mean, who doesn’t gift you a h

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undred face masks during a pandemic?<h1 id="f712">What happened then? And why?</h1>Well, receiving free stuff isn’t always fun. Apparently, I’ve been a victim of a scam called “brushing”.A seller, in this case, someone using the Amazon platform, creates a fake account with your data, sends packages to you, and once it is delivered, they have the chance to leave a fake review of their products.Products with many good reviews scale the search page and are offered to a larger number of customers before other similar ones.After the call to Amazon’s customer service, I didn’t receive any more packages. Amazon also sent me an email saying the products I received were mine; after all, they all had my address on the label.The brushing scam seems quite popular. The packages might arrive from different sellers. Probably someone collects home addresses and trades them to other retailers willing to boost their product visibility and sales.If you are a victim of the brushing scam, contact as soon as possible Amazon’s customer service. It’s nice to receive free stuff, but sellers will put a higher price on the products for sale to compensate for the costs of sending free ones away. Not to mention the unfair use of your home address that has been shared among retailers.</article></body>

Receiving Free Stuff Isn’t Always Fun: The Truth Behind Brushing Scams

Amazon’s delivery guys kept delivering unordered packages on my doorstep.

I order several products online: clothes, pet food, food supplements. Who doesn’t, right?

Some weeks I await three or more packages delivered from different couriers, and I don’t always keep track of my orders; shame on me.

One day, my dad goes to the front door and accepts a package delivered from Amazon.

The box has a label with my name and address, so my dad doesn’t worry about it. He knows I order online various times a week; he trusts big companies like Amazon and doesn’t suspect there might be something wrong with that box he just collected.

A few minutes later, the box is in my hand.

“What the heck is this? I didn’t ordered anything from Amazon recently.” I looked at the box suspicious but at the same time thrilled as a child. I used Amazon to send some Christmas gifts a few months earlier; maybe someone sent a present to me this time!

I opened and found a set of pooping bags for dogs with two bone-shaped containers to hang at the dog leash.

Now I’m confused. “Is this a way to say “go shit” to me? Who on Earth have I pissed off so much to send me such a gift?”

I texted a friend of mine; maybe it was a joke from him. Nope, it wasn’t him.

More puzzled than ever, I took the box and put it away. I will gift it to someone; I don’t need it.

Days go by, and another package arrived. This time was a baby monitor. “Great!” I think, “I will give it to one of my pregnant friends!”

Then, another box arrived. And another one. No matter the day of the week, I received a package of face masks on Sunday.

Somehow I never managed to pick a box; they were either left on my garden wall or given to my parents.

After about six packages, I finally decide to get in touch with Amazon customer service. In the meanwhile, I also did some research online.

The Amazon employee kindly asked me what I received, the code on the packages labels, and the content details.

He asked me if I had more than one account and if I was sure those weren’t gifts from friends. I mean, who doesn’t gift you a hundred face masks during a pandemic?

What happened then? And why?

Well, receiving free stuff isn’t always fun. Apparently, I’ve been a victim of a scam called “brushing”.

A seller, in this case, someone using the Amazon platform, creates a fake account with your data, sends packages to you, and once it is delivered, they have the chance to leave a fake review of their products.

Products with many good reviews scale the search page and are offered to a larger number of customers before other similar ones.

After the call to Amazon’s customer service, I didn’t receive any more packages. Amazon also sent me an email saying the products I received were mine; after all, they all had my address on the label.

The brushing scam seems quite popular. The packages might arrive from different sellers. Probably someone collects home addresses and trades them to other retailers willing to boost their product visibility and sales.

If you are a victim of the brushing scam, contact as soon as possible Amazon’s customer service. It’s nice to receive free stuff, but sellers will put a higher price on the products for sale to compensate for the costs of sending free ones away. Not to mention the unfair use of your home address that has been shared among retailers.