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Unsolicited ‘Brushing’ Packages Surge for Amazon Customers in Germany

Cybercriminals exploiting leaked address data to post fake reviews are prompting Amazon to step up account takedowns.

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Ungewollte Amazon-Pakete sind Teil einer globalen Brushing-Betrugsmasche, bei der ausländische Händler gefälschte Bestellungen nutzen, um positive Bewertungen zu generieren.
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Overview

  • The brushing scam sees fraudsters using stolen address lists to ship free goods to real customers so fake profiles can leave positive reviews.
  • Recipients face no direct charges and may keep the items but should treat the deliveries as evidence of personal data theft.
  • Amazon has confirmed it is actively dismantling the fake seller accounts behind the unsolicited shipments.
  • Security experts urge customers to photograph unexpected deliveries, enable two-factor authentication and change all passwords.
  • The rapid rise of brushing highlights broader risks to e-commerce review integrity and underscores the need for stronger data privacy safeguards.