Amazon shoppers are being warned about mysterious packages turning up on doorsteps, despite no one at the address having ordered them. It could be part of a scam by which dodgy sellers try to generate fake reviews.
Consumer magazine Which? has highlighted a trend in people receiving unsolicited 'Suzhichou' branded scarves that they didn't order. Once the item has been delivered, sellers can then leave five-star reviews on their own product to boost the rating.
Creating fake sales also means the seller ranks higher in search results, the Mirror reports. The process is called 'brushing' and is designed to deceive people into thinking products are more popular than they really are.
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“Ultimately, this results in more people seeing and buying their poor-quality products, under the impression that they’re highly rated,” Which? says. Most of the time, the recipient's profile will not have been hacked – although the fraudster will have somehow got hold of your name and address.
This could have happened if your address has been taken from a publicly available source, or if it was accessed as part of a data leak. Which? suggests that some people may also fall victim to 'brushing' after ordering a different item online.
Another variation of the scam involves a customer ordering an item from a marketplace but being sent a completely different item. “In these instances, the fraudster sends out a cheap product with the same tracking number that was generated by your actual order,” they said.
If you think you have been a victim of this type of scam and you ordered through Amazon, you can report the unwanted package to the company via this form. It is also advised that you change your passwords so your personal details are secure going forward, and check your bank account for suspicious activity.
An Amazon spokesperson said: “Brushing affects all online marketplaces. At Amazon, we have robust processes in place and we are relentless in our efforts to detect and prevent abuse from impacting customer experiences.
“Sellers are prohibited from sending unsolicited packages to customers and we will continue to improve the sophistication of abuse prevention in our store and take the appropriate actions like suspending or removing selling privileges.”
What to do if you think you've been scammed
If you think a criminal has got hold of your bank details you should always contact your bank immediately. You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect to your bank.
Any passwords that may have been leaked or compromised should be changed immediately. And you can report scams and fraud to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or through the Action Fraud website.
If you receive what you think is a scam email, you can forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk and scam text messages can be forwarded to 7726 for free. If someone calls you and you suspect they are a scammer, hang up immediately and search for the contact details online of the place they were supposedly calling from. Never call back the number provided by the caller.
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