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Online shopping is now ubiquitous, especially with younger shoppers. A major drawback of online shopping is that it does not afford consumers the opportunity to examine the product with their own eyes and hands. Therefore, they have to rely on reviews left by other shoppers to know what to expect from an item. As a result, online reviews play an extremely important part in the online shopping process. Sellers know this too and try to manipulate reviews using a tactic known as Brushing.
There are various ways in which sellers try to manipulate reviews:
The first review manipulation method is called Customer Review Fraud while the latter two are known as Brushing. The problem is so widespread that Which? reports that 1.1 million households in the UK alone could have been victims of Brushing Scams.
Unlike typical scams, victims of Brushing Scams don’t end up losing money, at least directly. The problem is that several thousands of online shoppers are influenced to buy inferior products through reviews that are not genuine.
Brushing Scams start with the seller creating fake accounts on platforms such as Alibaba or Amazon masquerading as real shoppers. The scary part is that the account information contains accurate details such as the names and addresses of real people. It is believed that Brushing Scams are carried out using stolen data gathered from data breaches or phishing attacks.
Next, the person whose details were used for creating the fake account receives a package containing worthless things that they never even ordered. The packages are usually sent from China and often contain incorrect descriptions of the item inside. The recipient will have no clue about why they received the package.
However, once the package has been dropped off, the item is marked as ‘Delivered’ on the platform, which allows the seller to write a ‘verified’ review using the fake account. These deceptive reviews lead to increased visibility and sales for the seller. Read our article ‘How to Recognize Fake Reviews’ to avoid buying products with fake reviews.
If you receive an unsolicited package, it is wise to dispose of it immediately as it is likely to receive a low-quality item that is tacky at best - such as ugly earrings - and hazardous at worst - such as a phone charger that could catch fire. It is also a good idea to secure your devices and be more careful about the information you share online. Read our article 'How To Protect Your Identity Online' to keep your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
Have you been targeted by a Brushing Scam? Share your story on our social media pages or Global Scam Fighters group.
