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What Is A Brushing Scam?

March 6, 2026

We haven’t talked about brushing scams much of late. However, there is one happening now that is significant enough that the FBI’s IC3 unit issued a warning about it. It involves mystery packages being delivered to your home with no information about where they came from. And to make it easier for you to fall for the scam, a convenient QR code is inside so you can solve the mystery easily and deliver your money to the scammers too.

A brushing scam is when a package arrives at your door that you have no knowledge of ordering. It’s a way sellers, often on Amazon, boost their ratings for products. They send the mystery package and then use the recipient’s information to write phony reviews. However, in this version, they include a QR code to scan where the personal information, including financial details, is entered to find out where it came from. In some cases, malware might be downloaded as well.

The IC3 included some tips on avoiding this, and other brushing scams:

  • Be wary of packages arriving at your door without expecting them that contain products that you did not order.
  • Use a healthy dose of skepticism if you receive packages that omit sender details.
  • Keep your login and financial details close to you. Don’t give it to anyone that you cannot verify actually needs it.
  • Do not scan QR codes randomly. Know what you’re scanning.

Final advice if you think you might have been a victim of this or any other brushing scam: Chang your account profiles and request a free credit report from at least one of the national credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and/or TransUnion). Review it carefully and report anything suspicious or unfamiliar to the agency.

While the IC3 does acknowledge this isn’t as common a scam as some of the others out there, it’s still prevalent enough for them to put out the alert. 


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