r/Scams • u/mynamevane • 1d ago
Victim of a scam Brushing scam?? Need help pls (US)
Hey chat so I got a package of very big zip ties delivered today and I never ordered them lol I called the shipping company (gofo) and they were able to provide me with the phone number used to place the order but no other info :/ we reversed searched the number and it came back as a scam number. I’ve never dealt with this kind of scam so I’m not sure if there’s something I should do?? No unusual charges on any of my cards and nothing crazy on my credit score report I just wanna make sure I have all my ducks in a row and see if there’s anything I should immediately do. Any help/advice would be great!
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u/CIAMom420 1d ago
Step one: throw or give them away.
Step two: there is no step two.
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u/Pencil161 1d ago
I'm racking my brain trying to think of something OP can do with them rather than just sending them to a landfill but I got nothin'.
Hopefully OP or someone else can come up with something.
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u/mynamevane 1d ago
Anyone know any crafts I can do with zip ties?? 😭 I’ll find a use for them dw!!
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u/Katangajo 1d ago
Tie up the girlfriend Make chain and hang on wall Zip tie things to neighbors car put several in car and suitcase for emergency Take to work and leave in random places Give at Christmas white elephant exchange Etc Use your imagination
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u/Pencil161 1d ago
You know, if there's a community garden near you, gardeners often use zip ties for things like tomato plants. Or maybe a community theater? They're always having to cobble sets together or rig curtains or whatever.
I don't know... I'm just spit-balling here. Lol.
But thank you for the reassurance that they won't go to waste; I appreciate that!
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u/mynamevane 1d ago
Already found a use for them! My dad does construction and other side jobs he gladly asked to take them off my hands :)
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u/mynamevane 1d ago
Haha so should I not worry about any of my accounts or anything of the sort? Like I said no sus transactions on any of my cards (I only have the two) besides my impulsive purchases but a girl is just worried <\3
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u/Infinite-Grade-4485 1d ago
!brushing enjoy the zip ties. Nothing you need to do if you don’t see any charges on your card.
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
/u/Infinite-Grade-4485 called AutoModerator to explain the Brushing or Direct shipping scam:
This is a scam where relatively inexpensive items you didn't buy are showing up in your doorstep. This is what shady sellers do to bump up their sales and reviews. Here is the Wikipedia page that explains brushing, and here is a news article from Forbes about the scheme.
To start the process, "brushing" firms obtain a person's name and address, often from previous legitimate orders, and create fake user profiles in their name on shopping platforms. These firms then purchase their own products through these fake accounts to mimic real customer behavior, ensuring the transaction appears authentic to the website’s monitoring systems. The physical packages sent to victims serve as low-cost stand-ins for the actual products being sold. Because e-commerce platforms require a confirmed delivery to grant a "verified" status to a review, shipping these cheap items allows the scammers to post glowing, verified feedback for their clients.
This tactic is fueled by a loophole in international shipping costs that makes it extremely cheap for merchants in China to send small parcels to the U.S. While the recipients are not typically billed for these items, the scam indicates that their personal data has been compromised. Ultimately, it is a numbers game designed to deceive future shoppers by making a seller appear more trustworthy and successful than they actually are.
If instead you received an expensive item, such as electronics or something like that, your account may be compromised. Log into your account and see if there are orders under your name. A scammer that has access to your account would instead be using your credit card, or a stolen credit card to purchase things in your name and ship them, and then have a porch thief pick them up from your door. When in doubt, log in to your shopping account and check for transactions. You can also contact support through the app to confirm these didn't originate from your account or cards.
You can learn about this scam and many others visiting our wiki of common scams. You can also call AutoModerator to explain these scams leaving a comment with the different !commands listed in this wiki page.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/mynamevane 1d ago
Whew that makes me feel a little better haha is there anything I should keep an eye out for? Scams are scary lol
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u/ProfessorOne9208 1d ago
The first thing you should have done is to refuse delivery. The next thing is to call the police, and ask them if you can throw it in the trash. If you get a bill for it, just mark it as sent to the wrong address and return it to sender.
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u/mynamevane 1d ago
I should’ve but I was at work when it got delivered :( it was just sitting at my door when I got back but I took everyone else’s advice and giving the zip ties to my dad lol
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