Review Brushing

Review brushing is a specific application of the brushing scam focused entirely on generating verified-purchase reviews. A seller ships a low-cost item to a real person whose personal details were obtained without consent. Using the recipient's account or a fake account linked to their delivery address, the seller posts a fabricated five-star review that the platform's algorithms treat as credible because a delivery was completed.

Unlike general brushing (which may also aim to inflate sales metrics), review brushing is optimized to game review systems. Sellers sometimes use recipients' own dormant marketplace accounts if they can gain access through credential stuffing or data breaches, posting reviews that appear to come from real, established buyers.

Recipients who receive mysterious packages should check whether any reviews have been posted in their name on marketplace platforms, report the incident to the platform, and consider whether their credentials may have been compromised. Marketplaces that detect brushing activity may suspend the seller and remove fraudulent reviews.