BETHEL PARK, Pa. — Police in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, said they got a lot of reports of people receiving packages in the mail they didn’t order. It turns out it’s a scam, WPXI, Channel 9′s sister station, reported here.
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Police posted a warning on social media about what’s known as a brushing scam.
They said shady companies are sending random items to your address in order to be able to post fake positive reviews under your name on Amazon or similar websites.
They do this to try to improve a product’s rating and get more people to buy it, WPXI reported.
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“It feels super dishonest so they can boost their sales and also using my house is a little unsafe having my address and stuff,” said Claire Rossi of Bethel Park.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said the scam is easy to pull off. Usually an international third-party seller just grabs your address online.
“I’m a little concerned. I mean, obviously you don’t know what’s in it and I don’t want to bring foreign objects into my house,” said Rossi.
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The scam can put people at risk because their personal information may be compromised and a fake review could prompt others to buy a worthless product.
USPIS shared a video online warning people not to pay or get conned if the scammers call you.
By law, authorities say unsolicited merchandise is yours to keep.
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Tips on how to protect yourself from brushing scams can be found at this link.
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