The Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office wants you to watch out for a scam involving deliveries at your door.
It’s called a “brushing scam,” where scammers are sending people fake items like speakers or jewelry, with the goal of boosting their sales of the knock-off item.
Here’s how it works. Sellers of the products find your address and send you the items. Deputies say they then use your personal information to write fake reviews about their products in your name to improve sales.
There are steps you can take if you get an unexpected package you didn’t order, according to deputies. First, you should change passwords on your online shopping accounts in case they were compromised.
Monitor your credit report weekly for any signs of change, and check for signs of identity theft. Finally, deputies say to avoid contacting the sender, adding that who responds will likely try to get more sensitive information from you.
Captain Frank Copeland says no “brushing scam” cases have been reported in the county as of now. He says the typical email scams remain the main issue in Gilmer.
Any fake reviews for products or other scams you see can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission. That can be done at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.