‘Brushing’: Watch out if you get a mask in the mail you didn’t order

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tom Bartholomy told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke he got an envelope in the mail that was labeled with “Amazon” and “China” but nothing else.

“[I] open it up and a single mask was in it. No paperwork. No nothing,” he said.

You may recognize Bartholomy’s name from other Action 9 reports over the years. He runs the Better Business Bureau, and he told Stoogenke six other people told his office they also got masks they didn’t order, all in the past week.

“This one came in just a small, plain, brown envelope,” he said.

The scam is called “brushing,” and it happens when an online seller is trying to boost its reviews. The seller gets your name and address, although it’s not clear how, and sends you a mask. It costs the seller almost nothing.

Then, it posts a great review of the product in your name.

“I’m not going to wear it. Even though it looks identical to the other masks that I normally wear,” Bartholomy said. “I don’t know where it came from. I didn’t buy it. I don’t know if there is something nefarious going on.”

Stoogenke suggests if you get one of the masks or anything you didn’t order:

1. Don’t wear it.

2. Throw it away.

3. Change your Amazon password.

Masks from China appearing in mailboxes, receivers say they never ordered (NCD)

Cox Media Group