Brushing scam: Beware of deliveries you didn't order

Have you ever had random products get delivered to you?

One ABC11 viewer received a swim cap and another got a friendship bracelet kit.

It turns out these products are part of an international scam called brushing. Brushing happens when sellers create fake accounts, purchase their own products, and send them to a real address. Investigators said they do it so they can post a verified review online, and so they get higher overall ratings.

Terry Buckman received a package at his door that had been shipped from Korea by a company based in China. Inside was a karaoke mic he never asked for.

"I checked my Amazon account, and there's no record of any purchase or shipment, and Amazon said the package did not come from its company," he said."If only I could sing, I could have fun with this."

If you receive unexpected products, get in touch with the company that sent the package to make sure someone isn't fraudulently using your account. It's also a good idea to change the passwords on your accounts.

Under federal law, you are allowed to keep anything that's sent to you, even if you didn't order them.

If you get multiple high-value items, though, file a police report in case you're being used in a larger criminal scheme.