The Postal Service Issues a New Warning About Unexpected Packages

(Tyler, Texas) - If there's one thing we can all agree on it's that scammers and thieves are the absolute worst. Their deceitfulness and trickery is designed to steal our personal information or our hard earned money. We always have to be on alert when getting an odd phone call or a weird email.

That alertness has now trickled down to our regular mail service. That's why the United States Postal Service (USPS) is warning us about the scam known as "brushing." It's a tricky scam that anyone could fall for.

USPS Warns Us About Unexpected Packages on Our Doorstep

Let's say you go to your mailbox and find a random package with your name on it (USPS). It feels like it has some kind of product inside. You start thinking to yourself, "Did I order something and forget about it?"

You bring the package inside and open it. Inside you find, let's say, a ring. That ring looks gorgeous and fits at least one finger. Inside the package is a card with a company name on it and a second card with a QR code. This is where the scam can easily trick you.

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USPS Details How the Scam Works

First part of this scam is using your address to write a fake positive review about the product. It's easy for these third party companies to find your address to write these "reviews."

The second part of the scam is the card with the QR code. Do Not scan that code. It is designed to take you to a website where that company can steal more of your personal information or even your banking information.

What to Do if You Receive This Type of Package

There are several ways to handle this, all of which are good:

• Don't pay for the product sent to you.
• Return the product to the sender if there is a return address. If there's no return address, this should be your first warning that it's a scam.
• Throw it away.
• Keep it. By law, if you were sent the product and didn't order it, you don't have to pay for it to keep it.
• Change your account passwords just to be safe.
• Monitor your credit report and your credit card bills.
• Notify authorities if the product is organic like seeds or a plant.
• Contact the retailer. If the product came from Amazon or eBay or another online seller, let them know that you got an unsolicited product from them and to remove your name from any review section for the product.