OMAHA, Nebraska (WOWT) – This holiday season, a scam known as ‘Brushing’ has spread across the country.
According to the Better Business Bureau, it all starts with an unexpected item arriving at your front door.
It is typically a lightweight present without a return address but with a scannable QR code.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office advises not to scan the package and to report it immediately.
“It enters your sensitive information, including your name, address, phone number, email address, and credit card information,” Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson said. “They’re going to exploit that.”
According to the Better Business Bureau, your information can be exploited to generate false reviews in your name, misleading other consumers and potentially boosting a company’s sales figures.
It may also lead to identity theft and financial crime.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating whether there are any brushing cases in Douglas County.
“Most people might not realize even if it has happened,” Hanson told me. “It probably has that they’ve been scammed.”
In recent weeks, the Sheriff’s Office has also been seeking to apprehend porch pirates.
Deputies have begun putting together ‘fake’ packages including a tracking device to entice criminals.
“That is still making its way throughout the county and it’s an odds game at this point,” Hanson told the audience.
Hanson hopes that as he and his staff keep people safe this holiday season, the community will do the same.
“The bottom line is if something is too good to be true that’s probably because it is,” Hanson told reporters.
You can report the scam to both the scam tracker and the merchant. Stores such as Amazon have websites dedicated to their regulations regarding brushing scams and fraudulent product reviews.
Sheriff Hanson stated that if you are unsure of the next steps to take, please contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 402-444-5802.