Posted on 08/17/2020 6:33:12 PM PDT by Western Phil
NOT JEWELRY: USDA says the unsolicited packages of seeds many Americans received were part of a “brushing” scam.
The USDA says mystery seeds received by Americans recently were likely sent in a large-scale “brushing scam,” designed to boost a seller’s ratings. Seed testing results have revealed most to be vegetable, flower, herb and ornamental seeds.
What’s a brushing scam? It happens when a seller fulfills fake orders, which show up on your doorstep in mislabeled packages — like those received by an estimated 1,000 Illinois residents in July and early August. Indiana residents received at least 350 by Aug. 7 as well.
So while the package labels declared they were jewelry or other items, the contents were actually packets of seed. Return labels written in Chinese characters led to alarm for some residents, who wondered if someone in China was sending contaminated seeds.
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“The most damaging weed we’ve found in Indiana so far is morningglory. And most good chemical programs on the farm control that weed,” Robison says. “Amaranth species are what we’re really worried about.” packages of mystery seeds from China CRISIS AVERTED: At first, USDA was concerned the seeds might be noxious weeds like amaranth and/or seed treatments harmful to humans, but tests throughout the Midwest haven’t found any amaranth seeds in the unsolicited packages. Treated seeds have been rare.
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“If it’s a powder or something like that instead of seed, we’re telling people to call the police immediately,” Robison says.
In an unfortunate bit of timing, Illinois Extension also mailed packets of forget-me-not flower seeds in July, in an effort to boost census participation.
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(Excerpt) Read more at farmprogress.com ...
For those with concerns.
I think they were a social experiment about the US postal system imo.
Trust nothing that comes from China. Ever.
Went to the site and read it all, still don’t know how a “brushing scam” works.
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Just testing a future Bio Weapon Delivery method for effectiveness.
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TIME FOR NATIONAL DISTANCING FROM THE CHI-COM PLAGUE PIT .
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The brushing scam is where the government brushes off your concern.
This scam is called brushing, and it has been popping up all over the country. Suddenly, boxes of unordered (by the recipient) merchandise from Amazon begin arriving. There is no return address, or sometimes it just appears to come from Amazon or another retailer, and the receiver has no idea who ordered the items. The items are varied. For example, in one case a humidifier, a hand warmer, a flashlight, a Bluetooth speaker and a computer vacuum cleaner arrived unordered. Often, the items received are lightweight and inexpensive to ship, such as ping pong balls, or more recently, face masks or seeds from China.
Why would such merchandise be sent to you if you didn’t request it? The companies, usually foreign, third-party sellers that are sending the items are simply using your address that they discovered online. Their intention is to make it appear as though you wrote a glowing online review of their merchandise, and that you are a verified buyer of that merchandise. They then post a fake, positive review to improve their products’ ratings, which means more sales for them. The payoff is highly profitable from their perspective.
Why it’s bad news for you
The fact that someone was able to have the items sent to you as if you purchased them indicates that they probably have some of your personal information such as your name, address, and possibly, your phone number. Once the information is out there on the internet, it could be used for numerous crooked enterprises.
The fake online review angle is only one way they benefit. By using the brushing scam, they also are increasing their sales numbers. After all, they aren’t really purchasing the items, since the payment goes right back to them. Increased sales numbers, even though padded with fake purchases, look good for the company and help lead to more sales.
Yep, and now they’re ‘brushing’ people with COVID face diapers. My wife got one in the mail on Friday and didn’t know why until I read an article in the paper that evening. If you want me to play your silly game, then send me something useful. Like a new laptop or a Chinese made SKS.
“Mystery seeds: Likely a scam, not a biohazard’
oh, hogwash! everyone knows that they’re Chinese Tiffids! So be sure to have a big supply of saltwater on hand ...
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