SOURCE: Jim Kreidler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

What could be better than opening the mailbox or the front door and finding an unexpected package? Free gifts might seem like fun — but when an unexpected package lands on your doorstep, it may come with a higher cost than you expected.

Scammers are sending people fake “luxury” items like rings, beauty products, and even Bluetooth speakers. This is sometimes called a “brushing scam,” so called because it’s “brushing up” — or increasing — the scammer’s sales. How does it work? Scammers or sellers of knock-off merchandise find your address or other personal information online. They send you goods you never ordered and use your information to write fake online reviews about their products in your name — which helps them boost sales.

“Who cares if they write a fake review in my name?” you might say. Well, if you got a package you didn’t order, it means someone likely has your personal information — and undoing the potential harm from identity theft could cost you time and money.

If you got an unexpected package you didn’t order:

• Change passwords on all your online shopping accounts in case they were compromised. If the package came from Amazon or another online marketplace, send the platform a message so they can investigate removing the seller.
• Check your credit weekly for free at AnnualCreditReport.com to monitor the information in your credit report and check for signs of identity theft.
• Don’t contact the sender. If you search online for the sender and reach out, anyone who responds will likely try to get more sensitive information from you to try to steal your money.

Got a package you didn’t order? Keep the merchandise and report fake reviews and scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.