Driven by China companies related to AliExpress, Temu or Shein, the OCU is now warning of a scam that is gaining ground among online selling companies. Seeking to expand their reach, they have resorted to a fraud that has been dubbed as Brushing within the cybersecurity circles on the web.
A large part of its danger is that, in a way that may seem selfless, there are people receiving packages they have not ordered at home and, by simply accepting them, they are opening the door for those companies to use Brushing to fraudulently use their data.
The deception of Brushing in reviews
With the main online buying and selling platforms adhering to certain requirements to increase the visibility of products, for example by claiming that reviews made on their pages are real and only come from people who have bought and received their packages, through the practice of Brushing these companies manage to deceive the system.
For this purpose, they send packages for free to random addresses and, after obtaining the receiver’s data, they use that information to create fake reviews about their products. Yes, it may seem like a blessing for fans of freebies, but it actually poses several hidden problems behind what could be seen by anyone as a simple gift where everyone wins equally.
Firstly, what these companies are doing is engaging in identity theft that is illegal in countries like Spain. But that’s not all, because often those items sent may not have passed European Union safety and quality standards, posing serious problems for those who use them.
Not long ago, there was a viral incident where a series of seed packets were received that turned out to be a problem for authorities. Being an invasive species capable of endangering certain ecosystems, their use could entail an ecological risk.
If you believe you have been a victim of Brushing at any time, the OCU recommends that you contact the relevant authorities to report the case, thus avoiding the situation escalating into bigger issues due to the origin and lack of controls involved in this type of products.
Image | Yibingzi at Midjourney
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