PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Police in Punta Gorda are urging residents to be cautious of opening any packages they receive that they didn’t order, because it could be part of a brushing scam.
According to the United States Postal Service, a brushing scam involves bad actors who scrub the internet for personal information like names and addresses then send packages or parcels containing worthless items to those addresses. USPS said by doing this, the sender of the package can create fake transaction records and use the names of the recipients to create fake reviews for their website, artificially inflating the website’s ratings.
A relatively new variant of the scam involving QR codes is more nefarious, according to USPS. This variant includes a QR code inside the unsolicited parcel that, if scanned, could lead recipients to harmful websites or give the scammers access to personal information stored on the recipient’s phone.
Kathy Leitsch in Punta Gorda tipped off Fox 4 about the scam, after one of her neighbors received a concerning package in December.
“They just put it under the tree and thought it came from one of their kids,” said Leitsch. “Inside the package was worthless foam, but it said in order to find out who sent it, to scan it.”
Leitsch, a volunteer with the Punta Gorda Police Department, said she told her neighbor to alert officers.
“First thing I told her was to take it right down to the Punta Gorda Police Station,” said Leitsch.
Her neighbor did just that and avoided becoming a scam victim, Leitsch explained. PGPD confirmed to Fox 4 that officers suspected the package was in fact part of a brushing scam, and urged residents to be cautious of any unsolicited packages showing up at your door.
“If you receive unexpected packages, do not open them or scan any QR Codes, and immediately report the incident to your local law enforcement agency. Stay vigilant and protect your personal information.”
