Amazon Brushing Scam — Unsolicited Parcels and Fake Reviews
You receive an unexpected Amazon parcel you never ordered; third-party sellers are using your address to generate fake verified-purchase reviews, and your account or data may have been compromised.
Part of: Brushing: Unsolicited Parcel Scams
Last reviewed: 7 June 2026
Brushing is a practice in which unscrupulous third-party marketplace sellers create fake orders using real people's names and addresses, ship cheap items to those addresses, and then post glowing verified-purchase reviews under the victim's account or a fake account. Because Amazon's algorithm favours verified purchasers, this artificially boosts a product's rating and visibility.
Victims often receive a package they never ordered — typically a lightweight item such as seeds, small electronics, or jewellery — with no return address or a generic sender name. The item itself is harmless, but the arrival of the parcel means a third party has obtained your name, shipping address, and possibly more of your account data.
While receiving a free item feels like a windfall, the brushing scam is a sign that your personal information is circulating somewhere it should not be — potentially harvested from a data breach, a leaked marketplace database, or purchased from a data broker.
How this scam works on the Amazon brand
On Amazon, genuine orders always appear in Your Orders under your account. If a parcel arrives and no corresponding order exists in your account history, it is almost certainly a brushing shipment. Scammers create an Amazon seller account, generate a ghost order using your details, and ship something cheap enough that the cost is worthwhile for the fake review they will post.
The more dangerous variant occurs when the brusher has actually accessed your Amazon account or a linked email address to set up a real order with your saved payment method. In that case, you may see a charge on your bank statement for an item you did not buy, and the 'seller' pockets the money while posting the review.
Some brushing campaigns are accompanied by a QR code inside the parcel, supposedly to claim a 'free gift' or 'register your product'. Scanning that code can lead to phishing pages designed to capture Amazon credentials or install malware.
Common red flags
- A parcel arrives addressed to you but you have no record of ordering it in Your Amazon Orders
- The package has no return address, a vague sender name, or a Chinese warehouse address
- Inside the package is a QR code asking you to scan it to 'claim a warranty' or 'get a free gift'
- You notice a review posted under your Amazon account for a product you have never used
- Your Amazon account shows an order you do not recognise, or a new delivery address has been added
- The item is extremely lightweight and inexpensive — seeds, a keyring, a phone screen protector
How to protect yourself
- Log in to amazon.com and check Your Orders; if the item does not appear there, your payment was not charged for this particular shipment
- Change your Amazon password and enable two-step verification immediately, as your contact data has been exposed somewhere
- Check whether any new delivery addresses have been added to your account under Account > Addresses and remove any you do not recognise
- Do not scan any QR codes found inside unexpected packages
- You may keep, donate, or dispose of the item — you are not legally obligated to return unsolicited goods in most jurisdictions
- Check whether your email address appears in known data breaches at haveibeenpwned.com and change passwords on compromised accounts
How to report it
- Report the brushing to Amazon at amazon.com/help — select 'An item arrived that I didn't order'; Amazon investigates and may suspend the seller
- If you find a fraudulent review posted under your account, report it via the review page and contact Amazon Customer Service to have it removed
- Report to the US FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, UK Trading Standards via Citizens Advice, or your national consumer protection agency
- If your account was actually charged, contact Amazon Customer Service immediately for a refund and contact your bank
Frequently asked questions
Is receiving a brushing package illegal?
In most countries, sending unsolicited goods is illegal for the sender, and you are under no obligation to return or pay for them. The practice violates Amazon's seller policies and constitutes marketplace fraud.
Does a brushing parcel mean my Amazon account was hacked?
Not necessarily. Scammers often obtain name and address data from breached databases or data brokers without ever accessing your Amazon account. However, you should still change your password and check your account for unauthorised changes.
Should I be worried about the item inside the package?
The physical item is generally harmless, but do not scan any QR codes or visit any websites printed on materials inside. Some campaigns use the parcel as a phishing lure.