A brushing scam is when dodgy online sellers send out parcels to people
unexpectedly. Why do they do it? So that they can write fake positive
reviews to boost their rankings on online marketplaces, helping them to
generate genuine income.
Some mystery deliveries contain QR codes (those black-and-white
squares you can scan with a smartphone), which could direct you to a
malicious website or cause malware to be downloaded to your device if
scanned.
Here's what to do if you receive a suspicious parcel.
Source: Which? (25 Feb 2026)