Mystery seeds tied to identity theft scam
MONTRE AL • The packages of mysterious seeds that have been making unsolicited appearances in mailboxes across North America are drawing attention to an online review scam known as “brushing” that has recently appeared in Canada.
The scheme, where sellers send unsolicited packages to customers and then write fake glowing reviews for products, may seem innocuous but could signal a more serious identity fraud problem, experts say.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned gardeners last week not to plant any seeds they received in the mail without ordering, warning that they could be harmful to the environment.
“These unauthorized seeds could be from invasive plants or they could even carry plant pests,” said the agency, which also asked people not to compost the seeds or throw them in the garbage where they could sprout.
While Canadian authorities have not provided a theory, the United States Department of Agriculture has said there’s no reason to believe it’s anything other than brushing, “where sellers send unsolicited items to unsuspecting consumers and then post false reviews to boost sales.”
Jessie St- Cyr, a spokeswoman with the Better Business Bureau, says this type of scam recently began popping up in Canada.
She says sellers send light or inexpensive items such as seeds or Ping- Pong balls to people so they appear to be verified customers when reviews are posted online in their names.
While customers usually aren’t charged for the items, she said recipients should change their passwords for online retail sites and verify bank statements to ensure fraudsters aren’t accessing sensitive information, such as credit card numbers.
While the organization hasn’t received any reports linked directly to the seeds, she said some people have reported receiving items such as combs or earbuds.
St- Cyr said it’s hard to get data on the scope of the problem, because many customers who receive items they didn’t order usually don’t consider it a problem.
The Canadian Anti- Fraud Centre said it considers brushing to be a type of identity fraud, although it had not yet received reports of seeds.