Brushing Scam Reported By Wrightstown Resident: Police

WRIGHTSTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — A Wrightstown Township resident reported a brushing scam in July, which led to her personal information being compromised, according to Newtown Township Police.

At approximately 5:15 p.m. on July 28, the resident contacted police to report the scam.

Police said the resident had received a package in the mail containing seven bottles of vitamins/supplements that she didn’t order. When she searched online to determine where the package came from, she found articles that explained it was a common brushing scam.

In a brushing scam, an online retailer sends people items and products they didn’t purchase in order to fraudulently improve their store’s ratings. Creating a fake transaction and mailing the item to a random person gives the seller credit for a sale, which boosts the seller’s rating on
online marketplaces like Amazon. They may also write a fake positive review of the item in the recipient’s name to increase their rating even more.

Brushing scams often indicate that personal information was compromised. In this resident’s case, police said there were fraudulent charges on her credit card. She closed the account and was able to dispute the charges, police said.

Police advise anyone who receives a package that they didn’t order to monitor their credit card and bank accounts and to notify authorities if the package contains anything suspicious.

"Whether you are the victim of a brushing scam or want to prevent it from happening to you, there are steps you can take to protect your personal information going forward," police said. "We suggest changing your account passwords with unique 12-plus-character passphrases and frequently checking your financial accounts for any suspicious activity."