On Your Side: Why mysterious packages arrive at doorsteps

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - It’s a scam that could impact your credit.

A woman in Rogersville thought a few packages arrived by mistake, but they keep coming. She has eighteen items she did not order.

Barbara Hosiner’s packages take up some space in her living room.

“This is a gaming headset. This is a cover for outdoor furniture. Alcohol breathalyzer, not a drinker. Some lights,” she said.

All the items are addressed to her husband. She called Amazon.

“They assumed on their end it was my husband ordering things and not telling me. He did not order these things. And if he were going to order things this is not the stuff he would order. There’s nothing here that we can use,” she said.

This is called a ‘Brushing Scam’.

Companies, usually foreign, find your name and address online and send an item. In this case, they opened an account in Barbara’s husband’s name and made a positive review. Reviews improve product ratings, which means more sales.

Here’s the takeaway. Your personal info might be in the wrong hands.

“Change your password on everything. Keep a close eye on your credit report, bank account, debit card, credit card. If you look up your name and address in some search engines, in some cases, you can see where it is being used and if it is, you can take it up with that search engine company and report it,” said Stephanie Garland with the Better Business Bureau.

If you don’t already have it, setup a fraud alert on your credit.

It’s a good habit to have only one credit card just for online shopping.

You can keep the stuff. The Federal Trade Commission says you have a legal right to keep unordered merchandise.

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