Amazon shoppers are being urged to beware scammers who are sending out cheap scarves to random addresses to try and generate fake reviews.
Consumer experts at Which? have warned many people are receiving unsolicited “Suzhichou” branded scarves they didn’t order.
Once the item has been received, the dodgy seller can then leave a five-star review on their own profile to boost their rating.
This is all part of a “brushing” scam, which is where sellers submit fake orders in order to create illicit reviews.
By creating fake sales, this makes the seller rank higher in search results.
“Ultimately, this results in more people seeing and buying their poor-quality products, under the impression that they’re highly rated,” Which? says.
Have you fallen victim to this scam? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
In most cases, your profile hasn’t been hacked - but it does mean a fraudster has got hold of your name and address somehow.
There are lots of ways this could happen.
Which? suggests some people reported falling victim to this “brushing” scam after ordering a different item online.
Your address may have also been taken from a publicly available source or been accessed as part of a data leak.
The consumer group explains there is another variation of the “brushing” scam.
It involves you ordering an item from a marketplace but being sent a completely different item.
“In these instances, the fraudster sends out a cheap product with the same tracking number that was generated by your actual order,” they said.
If you think you’ve fallen victim to this scam, you can report the unwanted package to Amazon using this form.
You should also change your passwords so your personal details are secure going forward, and check your bank for suspicious activity.
An Amazon spokesperson said: "Brushing affects all online marketplaces. At Amazon, we have robust processes in place and we are relentless in our efforts to detect and prevent abuse from impacting customer experiences.
"Sellers are prohibited from sending unsolicited packages to customers and we will continue to improve the sophistication of abuse prevention in our store and take the appropriate actions like suspending or removing selling privileges."
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
If you think a scammer has got hold of your bank details, contact your bank straight away.
You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect you to your bank.
Passwords that have been leaked or compromised should be changed immediately.
Make sure you report scams and fraud to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or through the Action Fraud website.
If you're in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website.
You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.
For scam emails, forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk, and for scam text messages, forward them to 7726 for free.
If you suspect a scammer is calling you, hang up immediately and search for the contact details online of the place you're supposedly being called from.
Never call back the number provided by the caller.
