An unexpected package can be a brushing scam: a seller sends a low-cost or random item to your name and address, then uses the delivery as apparent proof of a purchase and may post a fake review in your name. The shipment itself usually does not mean you owe money, but it does mean someone may have obtained personal information about your household. Do not scan a QR code, call or message the sender using the package details, or enter information on a linked site. Secure shopping accounts, check financial and credit activity, and report the incident through official channels.
What a brushing scam package is
In a brushing scam, a merchant or criminal arranges delivery of merchandise that the recipient did not order. The item may be inexpensive, unfamiliar, or unrelated to anything the household recently bought. The sender uses the completed delivery to make a transaction appear legitimate and may create a review under the recipient’s name to improve a product’s rating.
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The Federal Trade Commission says scammers can find names, addresses, and other personal details online, send goods that were never ordered, and use that information to write fake reviews. The package can therefore serve two purposes: it creates social proof for the seller and reveals that some of your personal information may be circulating.
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Signs that an unexpected parcel may be a brushing scam
- No one in the household placed the order, including through a shared account, gift registry, subscription, or workplace purchasing account.
- The sender is unfamiliar, absent, or inconsistent with the carrier or marketplace shown on the label.
- The contents are cheap, random, duplicated, or unrelated to recent purchases.
- A card, sticker, or label tells you to scan a QR code, visit a website, download an app, or contact the sender to arrange a return.
- The package arrives even though no matching charge appears on your bank, card, or shopping account.
- A review request refers to an order number you cannot find in your own account.
No single clue proves fraud. A family member may have sent a gift, a retailer may have made a shipping mistake, or a legitimate order may have been split into multiple deliveries. Confirm with everyone who could have ordered the item before treating it as a scam, but do not use contact information printed inside a suspicious package to investigate.
Why scammers send something you did not buy
Fake reviews and inflated sales signals
Many marketplaces allow sellers to point to a delivered order when building a product’s reputation. A criminal can send a low-value item to an address, then post a favorable review in that recipient’s name or use the delivery record to make a review appear more credible. You may never have written the review and may not see the transaction in your own account.
Testing or exploiting exposed personal data
Your name and address may have been copied from a public listing, a data breach, a resale list, or another online source. An unexpected delivery is not proof that a payment account was breached, but it is a reason to check shopping profiles and other accounts for changes you did not make.
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Using the parcel as a lure
Some packages add a QR code or a message promising a refund, gift, survey, loyalty reward, or easy return. The goal is to move you from a physical delivery to a phishing page or malicious download. The FBI’s July 31, 2025 public-service announcement states: “Do not scan QR codes from unknown origins.”
What to do when the package arrives
- Pause before interacting. Photograph the outside label, tracking number, sender information, inserts, and any QR code for your records. Do not click, scan, call, text, or email from the package.
- Check with household members. Confirm that no one ordered the item through a shared account, business account, registry, or subscription. If the package was genuinely a gift, ask the purchaser to verify it independently through their own order history.
- Inspect shopping accounts by typing the official address yourself. Review recent orders, saved delivery addresses, payment methods, email addresses, phone numbers, password-reset options, and active sessions. Do not use a link or phone number printed on the parcel.
- Change shopping-account passwords. Use a long, unique password for every retailer or marketplace. The FTC advises changing passwords on all online shopping accounts if they may have been compromised.
- Turn on two-factor authentication. Prefer an authenticator app or a security key when the service offers one; otherwise use text-message codes. Save recovery codes in a secure location.
- Review money movement. Check bank and card statements for transactions you did not make, including small authorization charges. Contact the financial institution through the number on your statement or card if anything is unfamiliar.
- Check your credit files. The FTC recommends checking weekly for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Look for new accounts, hard inquiries, addresses, or collections that you do not recognize.
- Report the incident. Use the marketplace’s official reporting tools for the seller or fake review, file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and use IC3.gov when a QR code, phishing site, malware, or other cyber-enabled fraud is involved.
- Choose a safe disposition. If the shipment was delivered by USPS and is unopened with a return address, USPS guidance says you may mark it “RETURN TO SENDER” and return it at no charge. Do not use an unfamiliar electronic, ingestible, or cosmetic product simply because it was free.
How to protect each account after a brushing delivery
Shopping and marketplace accounts
Start with the account that appears on the label or in any related order notice, then check every other shopping account that reused the same email address or password. Replace reused passwords rather than making a minor variation. Sign out of other sessions where the service provides that option, remove unknown devices, and verify that shipping addresses, payment instruments, loyalty balances, and notification settings are yours.
Check whether a review, question, seller message, or return request was posted under your profile. Delete or dispute activity you did not create through the marketplace’s own help or abuse channel. Do not negotiate with the seller directly; a reply can confirm that your address is active and invite requests for more information.
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Email account
Your email account can be used to reset shopping passwords. Change its password to a unique one, enable multifactor authentication, review forwarding rules and recovery addresses, and inspect sign-in history for unfamiliar devices or locations. If you find an unauthorized rule or recovery change, remove it and use the provider’s account-recovery process from a separately typed address.
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Review pending and completed transactions, digital-wallet activity, and newly added payees. A small unfamiliar charge can be a test transaction; report it promptly to the bank or card issuer. Do not rely only on a package’s absence from your statement, because the shipment may have been purchased with the sender’s funds or a compromised account rather than yours.
Phone and device accounts
Keep the phone, browser, and security software updated. Review installed apps, browser extensions, and notification permissions if you interacted with the package or a linked page. Remove anything you do not recognize, but preserve screenshots and URLs first if you may need to report the incident.
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What to do if you scanned the QR code
Risk depends on what happened after the scan. Merely opening a page is different from entering a password, downloading software, or approving permissions, but treat an unknown QR code as hostile until you have checked the device.
| What happened | Immediate action | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| You scanned it but closed the page without entering information | Do not revisit the page. Save the URL and take a screenshot if safe. | Update the device and browser, review downloads and permissions, and monitor accounts for unusual sign-ins. |
| You entered a username or password | From a trusted, typed-in site, change that password immediately. | Change it anywhere reused, sign out other sessions, enable two-factor authentication, and check account activity. |
| You entered card, bank, or identity details | Call the institution using the number on your card or statement. | Ask about replacing the account or card, monitor transactions, and check credit reports. |
| You downloaded an app or file | Disconnect the device from sensitive accounts if necessary and remove the suspicious software. | Revoke app permissions, update the operating system, run trusted security checks, and seek qualified technical help. |
| You approved notifications, accessibility, or other permissions | Revoke those permissions in the device settings and uninstall the app if it is not trusted. | Reset affected passwords from a clean device and report the application, URL, phone numbers, and permissions to investigators. |
If the QR page asked you to install a remote-access tool, contact a trusted technician or your organization’s security team before signing back into financial accounts. Preserve the QR image, destination URL, downloaded-file name, phone number, and timestamps; those details can help the marketplace, FTC, or IC3 identify the campaign.
How to decide what to do with the merchandise
| Situation | Safe choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Unopened USPS package with a return address | Write “RETURN TO SENDER” on the unopened item and give it back through USPS. | USPS guidance says qualifying unsolicited merchandise can be returned at no charge. |
| Package opened, but no interaction with a QR code or device | Keep photographs and labels; do not use unknown electronics, cosmetics, food, or supplements. Follow the carrier or marketplace’s official disposal or reporting instructions. | Opening the parcel does not require you to contact the sender or use the contents. |
| Another carrier or marketplace delivered it | Use that carrier’s or marketplace’s official website or app, reached independently, to report the shipment and ask about disposal or return. | Return procedures differ by carrier; package inserts are not authoritative. |
| You want to keep the item | Unsolicited merchandise generally does not require payment under FTC consumer guidance. | Keeping it does not make you responsible for a fake review or seller contact. Avoid using products that could be unsafe or tampered with. |
Do not send money, postage, identity documents, account credentials, or a “processing fee” to return an item. If you dispose of labels or paperwork, remove or obscure your name, address, tracking number, and barcodes first.
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Reporting routes and what to include
Report through a channel you reach by typing the address or using an official app—not by scanning a code or following an insert.
| Where to report | Use it for | Useful evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace or retailer | Unrecognized seller, fake review, suspicious order, or account activity | Order or tracking number, seller name, photos, review URL, and account screenshots |
| Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov | Brushing, identity misuse, deceptive seller behavior, or related scam attempts | Package details, contact information used, dates, losses, and copies of messages |
| FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov | QR-code phishing, malware, credential theft, or other cyber-enabled fraud | Destination URLs, phone numbers, applications, permissions, payment details, and technical indicators |
| USPS Inspection Service | Suspicious or abusive mail delivered through USPS | Tracking number, return address, photographs, and the date and location of delivery |
| Bank, card issuer, or credit bureau | Unauthorized transactions, new accounts, or identity-theft indicators | Statement entries, account notices, dates, and a record of your dispute |
Keep the original packaging until you have photographed the evidence and completed reports. Do not publish a QR code or phishing URL in a public post where others might scan it; provide it privately through the reporting form instead.
Credit freezes, fraud alerts, and ongoing monitoring
A brushing package alone does not establish that someone opened credit in your name. If your credit report shows an unfamiliar inquiry or account, or if you believe enough identifying information was exposed to make identity theft plausible, consider a credit freeze or fraud alert with the applicable credit bureaus. A freeze restricts access to your file until you lift it; a fraud alert asks creditors to take additional steps to verify applications. Keep confirmation numbers and the dates you placed or removed either measure.
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Continue checking all three credit reports weekly at AnnualCreditReport.com, as the FTC recommends, and review bank and card statements at every billing cycle. Set account alerts for new purchases, password changes, new payees, and sign-ins where available. Monitoring is a way to detect misuse; it does not replace unique passwords and multifactor authentication.
How the response changes by scenario
| Package status | QR code scanned? | Credentials or payment entered? | Unauthorized transaction? | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unopened | No | No | No | Verify household orders, secure shopping accounts, document the label, and report through the marketplace or FTC. |
| Opened | No | No | No | Do not use risky contents; photograph the item and follow the carrier’s official return or disposal process. |
| Opened | Yes | No | No | Save the URL, update the device, review downloads and permissions, and monitor accounts. |
| Opened | Yes | Yes | No | Change exposed passwords immediately, end other sessions, enable two-factor authentication, and report to IC3.gov. |
| Any | Yes or no | Payment or identity data entered | Yes | Contact the financial institution, dispute the transaction, check credit files, secure email and shopping accounts, and report to the FTC and IC3.gov as applicable. |
| Any | Yes or no | No | Yes | Call the bank or card issuer using a trusted number, change relevant passwords, preserve evidence, and report the unauthorized activity. |
Common mistakes that make the situation worse
- Scanning to learn who sent it: the QR code may lead directly to credential theft or malware.
- Calling the number on the insert: the person who answers may ask for an address confirmation, one-time code, payment, or remote access.
- Reusing a familiar password: a password exposed at one store can unlock every account where it was reused.
- Assuming no charge means no risk: the seller may have paid for the shipment, while your name and address remain exposed.
- Posting the code publicly: sharing a live phishing QR code can expose friends, family, or coworkers.
- Using an unknown product: free electronics, cosmetics, food, and supplements may be unsafe or tampered with.
- Deleting evidence immediately: labels, tracking numbers, URLs, and screenshots help marketplaces and investigators connect reports.
What the broader scam data does—and does not—show
The FTC reported that consumers lost $470 million to scams that started with text messages in 2024. Fake package-delivery messages were the most commonly reported type of text scam in that dataset. The $470 million figure covers text scams broadly; it is not a measure of losses from brushing packages specifically. It does, however, explain why an unexpected delivery message or QR code deserves the same caution as other phishing attempts.
A practical protection routine for the next 30 days
- Today: photograph the package, verify household orders, inspect shopping and email accounts, replace reused passwords, and enable multifactor authentication.
- Within 24 hours: review bank and card activity, check saved addresses and payment methods, and submit marketplace, FTC, USPS, or IC3 reports as appropriate.
- This week: obtain your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com, consider a fraud alert or freeze if exposure is plausible, and remove unknown devices or app permissions.
- For the next month: review statements and credit files regularly, respond to account alerts, and keep all evidence until reports and disputes are resolved.
The safest response is controlled and independent: do not engage with the package’s instructions, secure accounts through their normal websites, inspect financial and credit records, and use official reporting channels. You generally do not have to pay for unsolicited merchandise, and an unopened qualifying USPS item can be returned to sender without a fee.
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