How online scam 'brushing' works and why COVID-19 is to blame for its resurgence
Have you recently received a mysterious parcel in the mail that you didn't order and that wasn't a gift?
Maybe it was hair ties, toothbrushes, cleaning products, or even seeds.
Chances are you may have been caught up in an online e-commerce scam called "brushing".
While getting free stuff sounds great, it comes at the cost of your privacy and personal data.
What is brushing?
Brushing is when people receive cheap, unsolicited packages in the mail from an online marketplace, such as Amazon.
But the actual seller – the individual or company that sent you the item – is usually a third party that uses those websites to sell its products.
The seller effectively makes a fake shopper account using your name and address, buys the product from itself, and then sends it to you.
Americans have recently reported getting sent bluetooth speakers, hair ties, car cleaning products, torches, empty jewellery bags and smart phone repair kits, to name a few.
More recently, it's been tiny seeds.
.......So the stuff I get sent is free? Cool!
Not quite. It comes at a cost.
Your personal data, stolen from a data breach, has been used in the process — including your name and address.
Personal data is valuable to scammers.
They can can use it to access your bank accounts or set up a new ones, take out loans and steal superannuation, or create fake accounts on social media to attack others.
Getting free stuff in the mail is comparatively harmless, although it does indicate your personal information could be in the hands of digital criminals.
......Organic items like seeds present a biosecurity risk, and anyone who receives them unsolicited in the mail is asked to report it to the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment on 1800 798 636.
If you think a scammer has your account details, passport, tax file number, licence, Medicare number or other personal identification details, the ACCC says to contact your bank, financial institution, or other relevant agencies.
This is just an edited overview. For more info, read here -
https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/markets/how-online-scam-brushing-works-and-why-covid-19-is-to-blame-...
A couple of people reported, on the other boards,getting parcels that they didn't order, from Singapore. Someone stated they received seeds.
