The UK-wide warning applies to all households amid fears that some people are being targeted
UK households are being urged to remain vigilant against a ‘sneaky scam’ where fraudsters dispatch parcels to people who haven’t ordered them. According to Which?, criminals use this strategy to get fake reviews, and it could mean you’re vulnerable to identity theft.
In an Instagram post, the consumer champions issued a warning for social media users. Highlighting the issue, Which? said: “Households are receiving parcels for items they never ordered and these are not generous gifts, but a sneaky scam that you need to know about.”
In the post, Which? claimed that scammers might send out products to get fake reviews. The post explained: “Dodgy online sellers send you cheap, unsolicited items (such as scarves, seeds or phone cases). By sending the parcel to your address, they can ‘verify’ a fake purchase.”
The warning continued: “This allows them to write a five-star ‘Verified Purchase’ review under your name to boost their ratings.” Which? added that someone with your address could try to commit identity theft and open other accounts in your name.
If someone is sending you a parcel, the experts say they likely purchased your name and home address from a data leak or previous scan. They could then send malicious QR codes that are linked to malware websites or try to steal your identity. Which? added: “If they have your address, they might try to open other accounts in your name.”
Anyone who receives a parcel they did not order is advised to report it to the marketplace the product was sent from by reporting the delivery as an unwanted package. People should also change their passwords and monitor their credit files to check for any fraudulent accounts opened in their name.
According to Which?, there’s no requirement to return the unsolicited parcel. The post said: “The golden rule: you don’t have to pay (or send it back). Under UK law, you have a legal right to keep any ‘unsolicited goods’ sent to you.”
However, they pointed out that the product might not meet safety standards. It’s recommended to dispose of items like electronics or beauty products.
Which? reports that searches for brushing scams were trending earlier this year. However, it’s not a new problem. In 2021, the consumer champions at Which? estimated that more than one million households in the UK could have been targeted by these scams.
People who have been targeted in the past have received items such as a vacuum cleaner, bread, a pack of noodles, and phone cases, reports the Mirror. In some cases, people reported getting sent multiple parcels they had not ordered.
Contact your bank immediately if you have lost any money or spot an unauthorised transaction. If you think you’ve been scammed, call your bank, stop all contact with the scammer, report the fraud to Action Fraud, and change compromised passwords. Secure your devices, check bank statements for further issues, and report suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. More information about brushing scams is available on the Which? website.
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