As the season brings a flurry of packages to doorsteps, unsuspecting recipients may find themselves receiving deliveries they never ordered.

This scam, known as “brushing,” involves cybercriminals sending packages with no return address. These packages often contain a QR code, tempting the recipient to scan it to find out who sent it.

However, the seemingly innocent scan could expose private information from the recipient’s phone or install harmful software onto their devices.

“A scammer’s QR code could take you to a spoofed site that looks real but isn’t. And if you log in to the spoofed site, the scammers could steal any information you enter,” the Federal Trade Commission explained in a blog post.

“Or the QR code could install malware that steals your information before you realize it.”

Across the country, authorities are alerting residents to stay cautious as the holidays approach.

Nancy Kowalik, a resident of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, recounted receiving a “really nice gift set for skincare,” but was confused as to who had sent it.

“There was a QR code,” she shared with a local ABC News outlet, noting that she had seen warnings about brushing scams. “And I’m paranoid so I don’t scan anything. But I kept asking friends and no one ever claimed sending that gift to me.”

Brushing scams are also sometimes used to manipulate seller reviews on platforms like Amazon, as reported by USA Today.

These sellers aim to improve their ratings, according to Jennifer Leach, associate director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer and Business Education.

“Dishonest businesses and scammers are sending all sorts of unordered junk in the mail – and then writing good reviews for their business in your name,” Leach told USA TODAY. She added that such scams can harm businesses that “don’t cheat to get reviews.”

She also warned that this could be a sign that a shopper’s personal information has been compromised, or that a fraudster has created a new account using the recipient’s name and address.

Melanie McGovern, a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau, advised consumers to secure their accounts, such as Amazon or other frequently used shopping sites, in an interview with a local Fox News station in New Jersey.

She also recommended notifying the shopping platform or company about any unsolicited deliveries, as she told USA Today.

An Amazon representative assured the outlet that third-party sellers are prohibited from sending unsolicited parcels to customers. The company takes immediate action against violators, including “withholding payments, suspending selling privileges, and reporting bad actors to law enforcement.”

“What people need to do is not be so curious about it,” McGovern emphasized. “Don’t scan a QR code and start entering information if you’re not sure where that package came from.”

{Matzav.com}