Beware of ‘brushing’ scam this holiday season, warns Better Business Bureau
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – The holiday season has finally arrived, and as some people are looking to spread cheer, scammers are looking to ruin it. Experts say a resurfaced scam is particularly dangerous this time of year-the scam is known as "brushing." The scam is unique because it requires the criminals to have your address before anything happens and, in order for it to work, it requires you as the victim to do nothing at all, which is exactly what the scammers want you to think. “We say scammers and fraud ... These are bad people doing bad things, and we are victims of it,” said President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Barry Moore. Moore is now reminding consumers this holiday season that scams can come in many different forms. “It’s just really the vulnerability of a consumer. I guess in our local area, or in the United States, we love to get a package that we didn't pay for,” Moore said. The scam begins when you, as the consumer, receive a package containing random items you did not order. The package will usually be addressed to you, even though there may not be a return address, or if there is, it's the address of the company. Moore says that instances like this happen to one company frequently. “It happens with Amazon packages a lot! Not their fault. So then other consumers get sucked into these ads, these fake ads, these fake reviews,” Moore said. “They say, 'Hey, your neighbor bought it.' And it's creating a delivery and a purchase that didn't really happen." Con artists want to make it look like you're a verified buyer — and may even post a fake positive review of their product in your name. “So, when you get something that's not something you paid for, it's too good to be true. It didn't fall from the sky,” Moore said. According to Moore, when it comes to scams like this one, the con artist is usually an international third-party seller who has found your address online -- and by then it's too late. “But once you validate your address and once you give them a thumbs up or any kind of review on social media, there's no recourse,” Moore said. “These are criminals. It's just like you get robbed at gunpoint. I mean, you don't get your stuff back.” Moore says that the best thing to do if you think you have been a target of the brushing scam is to report it to the BBB and not to reach out to the sender directly. Click here to report a scam or learn more about brushing.
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HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – The holiday season has finally arrived, and as some people are looking to spread cheer, scammers are looking to ruin it. Experts say a resurfaced scam is particularly dangerous this time of year-the scam is known as "brushing."
The scam is unique because it requires the criminals to have your address before anything happens and, in order for it to work, it requires you as the victim to do nothing at all, which is exactly what the scammers want you to think.
“We say scammers and fraud ... These are bad people doing bad things, and we are victims of it,” said President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Barry Moore.
Moore is now reminding consumers this holiday season that scams can come in many different forms.
“It’s just really the vulnerability of a consumer. I guess in our local area, or in the United States, we love to get a package that we didn't pay for,” Moore said.
The scam begins when you, as the consumer, receive a package containing random items you did not order. The package will usually be addressed to you, even though there may not be a return address, or if there is, it's the address of the company. Moore says that instances like this happen to one company frequently.
“It happens with Amazon packages a lot! Not their fault. So then other consumers get sucked into these ads, these fake ads, these fake reviews,” Moore said. “They say, 'Hey, your neighbor bought it.' And it's creating a delivery and a purchase that didn't really happen."
Con artists want to make it look like you're a verified buyer — and may even post a fake positive review of their product in your name.
“So, when you get something that's not something you paid for, it's too good to be true. It didn't fall from the sky,” Moore said.
According to Moore, when it comes to scams like this one, the con artist is usually an international third-party seller who has found your address online -- and by then it's too late.
“But once you validate your address and once you give them a thumbs up or any kind of review on social media, there's no recourse,” Moore said. “These are criminals. It's just like you get robbed at gunpoint. I mean, you don't get your stuff back.”
Moore says that the best thing to do if you think you have been a target of the brushing scam is to report it to the BBB and not to reach out to the sender directly.
Click here to report a scam or learn more about brushing.
