[SCAM] Have You Received a Package from Amazon You Didn’t Order?

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Recently, we've ordered several things from Amazon, for Halloween costumes and some things around the house. So, when a random package was delivered yesterday, I just figured it was something that I had ordered, and forgotten about. But, when my husband opened the box, he was like, 'When did you order a cookbook'? I certainly didn't order a blank recipe book - I don't time to write down the ingredients, to what I'm making, and I can't read my own writing. We searched our amazon account, sure enough, it was not in our ordered items. But where in the word did it come from? Is Amazon sending out random free gifts? I went to the internet for answers.

According to Clark.com, a reputable consumer site, getting items from Amazon that you didn't order, is a scam called 'Brushing'.

The Amazon brushing scam might seem harmless at first, but the danger is really threefold.

 

1. First, it means that your name, shipping address and possibly phone number has been compromised. It’s possible that this might happen when you’re dealing with less-than-reputable third-party sellers on Amazon.

2. Second, and even more concerning, what happens if a phantom seller ships contraband to your home? You could find yourself charged with possession of illegal drugs or banned weapons — not the phantom seller.

3. Finally, a crime like this also has a hidden financial cost. Somebody has to pay for the lost merchandise and the shipping costs, right? That person is likely to be you, the Amazon customer — in the form of higher costs for the things you legitimately order online!

Another way that scammers are using 'Brushing', is to increase their review ratings on Amazon. The better reviews they have, the more potential customers will see their products. So, they obtain your info, send you something, then they review their own product. You can find out if the reviews you are reading are fake or not at Fakespot.com 

It is legal to keep the items that are sent to you (As long as it's addressed to you). So, if the 'Brushers' could send me something that I could use, that would be great!