BBB Warns Of Brushing Scams

CHARLOTTE, NC — It’s not often a free gift shows up on your front door but that’s what happened for a Fort Mill woman who asked we hide her identity. That free gift was a fake engagement ring sent to her through the mail.

“I would have never thought that something like this would be a scam,” she said.

That Fort Mill woman believes she was the target of a brushing scam. Here’s how it works, scammers send a product from Amazon or other online retailers to make it appear you wrote a positive online review of that item. The seller then posts a fake, positive review to improve the product’s rating.

“When you’ve received this package, it’s likely that your personal information was already found online or compromised in some fashion,” said Paul Bartholomy.

Bartholomy is the president of the Better Business Bureau. He say scammers usually send lighter, cheaper items in the mail, often with no return information.

“The best thing you can do is notify the retailer of the issue and try to get the review taken down in your name and try to monitor your accounts moving forward,” said Bartholomy.