Beware This New Scam in Idaho That Could Drain Your Bank Account

Free is one of our favorite 4-letter ‘F’ words but there is a very real reason you should be wary of free or unsolicited packages delivered to your home.

An E-commerce scam has been spreading lately called ‘brushing’ and it may seem harmless but could have long-term harmful effects.

Don't Fall For This New Scam Draining Bank Accounts in Idaho

If you get a package delivered to your house that you didn’t order, but it has your name and address on the label you need to be careful. The package is likely a scam and an attempt to steal more of your information. The scammer already has your name and address and possibly your phone number, and the account and payment info from whatever E-commerce store it came from (like Amazon, Etsy, or Ebay).

How Does the Brushing Scam Work in Idaho?

Sometimes the package is sent (and paid for) by a seller attempting to increase their sales to make their online portfolio look better. They may even post positive reviews for themselves in your name to improve their product ratings.

READ MORE: Dangerous Scams Hitting Idaho Residents

What makes the scam so dangerous is that you don’t know how much of your information is compromised. You also need to be careful if the ‘free gift’ comes with a card and a QR code to scan.

Scanning a code from a sketchy source could open your phone up to hacking and give the scammer full access to your phone and all the information on it.

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If you get hit with a brushing scam you can contact the distributor, Amazon has a help center where you can report unwanted suspicious items. You should also monitor your bank accounts and change your passwords.

You are allowed to keep the items, if you want them. According to a Reddit post, if the items were charged to your bank account you can get a refund and even if they weren’t paid for by an account in your name you can still get a credit back to your Amazon account.