Postal Service Issues Warning for Massachusetts Residents

Massachusetts residents should be careful when and if surprise packages arrive at their homes.

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The Postal Service Issues Scam Warning for Massachusetts Residents

Every day, scams are being sent to us via email, text, phone call, and even through mail delivery. One scam that has seen an increase is the brushing scam, which involves surprise or unsolicited packages arriving in mailboxes and on doorsteps.

 What's the Purpose of Brushing Scams? 

According to the United States Postal Inspection Service, the intention is to give the impression that the recipient is a verified buyer who has written positive online reviews of the merchandise. In other words, they write a fake review in your name. While this may seem harmless, it's not, especially since the thieves have your personal information.

Read More: FTC Warns Massachusetts of Scary Fury Baby Scam

Massachusetts Residents: Pay Attention to Another Version of the Brushing Scam That's Going Around

The United States Postal Inspection Service is warning Massachusetts residents of another variation of the brushing scam called quishing. This version of the brushing scam includes a QR code that will send you to bogus websites, which, though they may look legitimate, will steal your personal and financial information when scanned.

Here's What Massachusetts Residents Should Do If They Received Unsolicited Packages in the Mail.

The United States Postal Inspection Service has offered the following tips:

• Don't pay for the merchandise
• Don't get conned if the sender follows up with a phone call
• By law, you can keep unsolicited merchandise if you choose
• Change your account passwords
• Closely monitor your credit reports and credit card bills
• Notify the Retailer (if unsolicited merchandise arrives from Amazon, eBay, or another third-party seller, go to that company’s website and file a fraud report. Ask the company to remove any fake reviews under your name).
• Don't scan QR codes inside surprise packages

No matter where you live in Massachusetts, whether it's Boston, Worcester, Springfield,  or anywhere in the Bay State, we're all vulnerable to scams, including brushing scams. Keep your eyes and ears open and protect yourself. You know the old saying: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.