Brushing scams are growing more common as online sellers compete for higher rankings and customer trust. What looks like a gift could mean someone has your name and other personal details and is using them to game the system.
What is a brushing scam?
A brushing scam is a fraud tactic where sellers send unsolicited packages to real people in order to post fake “verified” reviews. The goal is to trick e-commerce platforms, and in the process, future customers, into thinking a product is more popular or trustworthy than it really is.
Scammers often create fake accounts using your name and address, then place orders and write glowing reviews under your identity. Because the delivery is real, platforms like Amazon or other marketplaces often tag the review as “verified,” boosting the product’s visibility and authenticity.
These fake reviews are designed to inflate seller ratings and help shady vendors build false credibility artificially. It may come at the expense of your personal privacy.
How does a brushing scam work?
The process begins when scammers get their hands on names and mailing addresses. These sometimes become available through data breaches but are also found in public records or scraped information. You don’t need to have ordered anything for your name to land on one of these lists.
Using that data, scammers create the buyer accounts discussed and buy the goods. These are shipped to random people, making the review “verified” in the eyes of the platform.
After the package arrives, the scammer manipulates and undermines the system with a 5-star review as if you were the one who wrote it. This cycle is repeated across many identities, helping sellers manipulate ratings at scale and climb up e-commerce rankings. Brushing scams on Amazon can help sellers to get access to a lucrative market.
Negative impacts of brushing scams
Brushing scams are a confidence trick that undermines consumer protection efforts online by manipulating purchase and review systems. These scams don’t just waste packaging, they damage the integrity of online marketplaces. By flooding platforms with fake reviews, scammers distort what buyers see and make it harder to distinguish genuine feedback from manufactured hype.
Your identity could be attached to products that are poorly made or even controversial. This can lead to confusion or embarrassment, especially if someone else sees the product linked to your name. Over time, these fake endorsements weaken trust in product reviews and disadvantage honest sellers who rely on legitimate customer feedback.
For consumers, the result is a shopping environment where deception wins—user experience and product quality are forced to take a back seat.
Why it is called brushing?
The term “brushing” comes from the idea of “brushing up” or cleaning a product’s image. It has connotations of artificially cleansing a product or getting rid of imperfections, hence why it caught on. This perfectly reflects the way these scams work.
This phrase is believed to have originated in marketing circles, especially among third-party sellers in competitive online marketplaces.
Brushing scam on Amazon: Why it’s so common
Amazon’s vast marketplace and reliance on third-party sellers make it a hotbed for brushing scams. There are millions of sellers competing for visibility and with relatively little oversight on fake reviews, it’s possible for scammers to exploit the system.
There’s no unique brushing policy in place. Amazon treats these incidents as general misuse of customer data or review fraud. That means packages may keep arriving unless sellers are reported and flagged. If you receive an unexpected package, report it to Amazon’s customer service, avoid leaving any kind of review, and monitor your account for unusual activity.
Brushing is prevalent in some locations, and a Which study found that as many as 4% of people had been victims of brushing scams.
You should be vigilant if an item received has vague labeling, no return address, or an enclosed QR code. Even if the item seems harmless, it could mean your personal information is being used without your consent.
Brushing scam QR code: How quishing adds risk
Some brushing scam packages now include QR codes, adding a new layer of danger. Victims may be prompted to “claim a reward” or “track their shipment” by scanning the code on their package.
But scanning these QR codes can lead to phishing or quishing websites designed to steal your personal information or payment details. This twist turns an e-commerce nuisance into a more serious cybersecurity risk.
What to do if you are a victim of brushing
Do you suspect that you may be part of a brushing scam? If so, it’s important to remember that your name and address may have been leaked through a broader data breach. This means that protecting yourself is about more than fraudulent online reviews—it’s about staying safe from everything else that can happen when sensitive info is stolen online. There are steps that victims can take to protect themselves.
Change your passwords
Start by updating your passwords, especially on email, shopping, and financial accounts. Use strong and unique passwords for each login and consider using a password manager to keep them secure.
Enable two-factor authentication
Adding two-factor authentication (2FA) makes it much harder for scammers to access your accounts, even if they have your login details. Prioritize enabling it on accounts tied to sensitive or personal information.
Check your bank and credit accounts
Review recent activity on your bank and payment service accounts. Flag any unfamiliar charges or login attempts right away with your provider to try and resolve them.
Freeze or lock your credit report
Contact major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) to freeze or lock your credit. This stops new credit from being opened in your name without your approval, something that is a real risk if your personal details have been leaked.
Conduct a dark web scan
Use a reputable service to check if your personal data has been exposed or is circulating on the dark web. You can then assess the risk and take swift action.
How to report a brushing scam
If you suspect you are part of a brushing scam, start by contacting the platform that shipped the item, like Amazon, eBay, or another marketplace. You may be able to tell which company is being abused from the packaging or the delivery company. The marketplace can investigate the seller and remove fake reviews tied to your identity.
You should also report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission, and if you believe your identity is compromised, visit IdentityTheft.gov for steps on protecting your information and recovering from fraud.
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