What is a brushing scam? Experts are warning consumers about QR code fraud

Brushing scams are an emerging threat to unsuspecting consumers as Black Friday shopping begins. 

The first type of the scam begins when fraudsters gain information such as a name and home address. 

From there, scammers will set up an Amazon account with the victim’s information and send a package to the targeted person’s home with no return address. 

“Once you have signed to confirm receipt of the parcel, the scammer then writes a positive verified review for the product in your name, to help improve their seller rating and to help drive more sales,” said Kushal Tantry of QR Code Developer, a company that allows users to create custom QR codes.

Another form of the brushing scams includes a QR code, where the recipient of the package is asked to register the new product or uncover who sent the package.

Once the QR code is scanned, the scammer will be able to access the victim’s personal and banking information.

Experts are recommending that people update passwords and don’t scan QR codes that are unfamiliar while checking bank accounts for unusual activity.