A Deerfield Beach woman says her mailbox has turned into the center of a strange and growing scheme after unordered packages began piling up at her doorstep — with one day alone bringing 11 unexpected deliveries.
Kim Watson says the ordeal started small. The first package arrived empty, and she tossed it without a second thought. But the next day brought two more, and within days the number climbed sharply. Most boxes were empty, though her son once opened one to find nothing more than a novelty hair calendar inside.
After searching the return address online, Watson discovered she wasn’t alone — several other residents reported receiving identical unexplained packages.
Consumer protection officials say Watson has fallen into a scheme known as “brushing,” where fraudsters mail random addresses packages containing a printed QR code. The goal, according to Cinthya Lavin of the Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida, is to lure recipients into scanning the code, which can secretly install harmful software or trick victims into handing over personal details.
Officials caution that scanning the code isn’t necessary to fall victim — simply searching for the sender online and clicking through unfamiliar links can be enough to expose personal information to scammers posing as legitimate companies.
The Better Business Bureau’s scam-tracking database shows hundreds of similar complaints filed across Florida this year, many citing the same sender name and return address that appeared on Watson’s packages.
Watson says she now checks her bank accounts regularly out of caution, unsure what, if anything, the scammers gained access to.
Officials are urging anyone who receives similar unsolicited packages to avoid scanning any codes, discard the items, and file a report with the Better Business Bureau. Investigators say the reports are shared with the Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Attorney General’s office, and that a higher volume of complaints improves the odds of identifying those behind the scheme.
