Brushing Scam Overview

If you've ever received a random Amazon package that you never ordered, you're not alone. Like most people, you probably rushed to your Amazon account to review your order history. After that turned up clear, you moved to your bank accounts expecting to find a fraudulent charge or suspicious activity. But, to your surprise, nothing.

So you chop it up to a mistake on Amazon's end - at least you're getting free stuff right?

This is actually a confusing fraudulent practice called "Brushing", or more specifically in this example "Amazon Store Brushing".

"Brushing" is a fraudulent practice where scammers send unsolicited packages to unsuspecting individuals. These packages often contain cheap items like phone cases, electronics, or jewelry.

How Brushing Scams Operate

This scam is unlike most other scams we write about because the person who receives the unsolicited package actually isn't the intended victim.

The scammer's goal is to artificially boost a seller's reputation on Amazon. By sending out these packages, the scammer can create fake reviews and purchase history, making it appear like their products are popular and well-received. This can lead to higher rankings in search results, more sales, and ultimately, more profit.

As you can probably imagine, this type of fraudulent activity has the potential to turn hundreds, even thousands, of normal Amazon consumers into victims. By artificially inflating reviews, scammers are able to sell cheap products that - under normal circumstances - would never sell due to negative reviews.

Brushing isn't unique only to Amazon, it just happens that - due to consumer popularity - it's most common on Amazon's platform. But, it's important to know that this practice can occur on any platform where sellers receive feedback on their products (like Temu).

What to Do if You're Targeted

We always recommend to never open packages you receive in an unsolicited manner, though this advice is usually ignored.

However, you should be a good Samaritan and prevent others from being turned into victims by reporting any unsolicited Amazon packages directly to Amazon themselves here: Report Amazon Brushing.