Postal Service Issues Scam Warning for Washington Residents

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

The Postal Service Issues Urgent Scam Warning for Washington Residences

Every day, you receive scams via email, text, phone call, and now, even through mail delivery.

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One scam seeing an increase is the brushing scam, involving surprise or unsolicited packages arriving in mailboxes and on doorsteps.

What is the Purpose of Brushing Scams?

According to the United States Postal Inspection Service, the intention is to give the impression the recipient is a verified buyer who has written positive online reviews of the merchandise. Basically, they write a fake review in your name. You might be thinking, "Well, that's relatively harmless," but you're wrong. It means the thieves have your personal information.

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Washington Residents: Be Aware of Another Version of the Brushing Scam Going Around

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

The United States Postal Inspection Service offered the following tips:

• Don't pay for the merchandise
• Don’t get conned — ignore follow-up calls from the sender
• 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 Washington, whether it's Seattle, Spokane, Wenatchee, Tri-Cities, or Yakima, you're 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.