Our ability to be cautious may be dulled amid the hustle of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas sales. Add to this the anticipation of a holiday and miracles, and it makes people easier targets for scammers who take advantage of moments when people let their guard down, such as during busy shopping seasons. According to the United States Postal Service and several news agencies, scammers target recipients by sending fake diamond rings or similar items. And you should be aware of it as it is part of a “brushing” scam, a fraudulent tactic when people receive unsolicited packages, often containing low-value or counterfeit things.
Jessica Claudiano got such a delivery and shared her experience and thoughts. She was surprised to discover the package at her door as she couldn’t remember ordering something like that. Jessica opened it to see what’s inside and suggested it was a surprise gift from her partner. However, after inspecting it closer, she realized the ring seemed faux. Later, she noticed the QR on the box that should have been scanned in order to register the gemstone. At least, that is what was written there. Fortunately, Jessica didn’t fall for this and suspected something was wrong with the whole thing.
This is not an isolated case; Mary O’Toole from Pittsburgh reported a similar scam case last month. The parcel she received was marked with a USPS barcode, along with her name and address; moreover, the sender’s name and address were also indicated. Everything seemed convincing, including the box with a “diamond” ring, which looked of premium quality with no visible imperfections. There also was a card with a QR code to scan. However, Mary thought it strange, as no one would send you such a gift for nothing, so she ignored the inscription.
Scammers can obtain recipient details through data breaches or public information to send fake jewelry and then lure people into scanning the QR code, registering on a website, and providing their personal and financial information.
What should trigger suspicion and call for extreme caution? First, unexpected packages containing items that appear valuable should immediately raise red flags. Second, the absence of a return address or the use of a seemingly legitimate retailer’s name should also cause concern. These details are often deliberately crafted to create a false sense of trust in the package’s origin.
What to do if you receive similar package:
- Do not scan QR codes or barcodes, and avoid registering on websites.
- If the package is unopened and includes a return address, you can label it “RETURN TO SENDER,” and the postal service will handle the return without charging you.
- Contact the online retailer if the package appears to be linked to a legitimate platform.
- If the package arrives from a third-party seller like Amazon or eBay, file a fraud report on the company’s website.
- Report the incident to the proper authorities, such as the FTC.
Although we all love surprises and presents, we should be on guard as deceptively harmless free goods may cost you more than you expect.
