A Virginia woman named Cindy Smith recently found herself in a peculiar situation when she started receiving over 100 Amazon packages that she didn’t order. According to CBS affiliate station WUSA, the packages contained a variety of items, including 1,000 headlamps, 800 glue guns, and numerous children’s binoculars.
Smith expressed her confusion and surprise as the boxes continued to pile up outside her home in Prince William County. “It’s a lot of packages,” she told WUSA. “I didn’t order them.”
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the packages were addressed to a name she didn’t recognize, Lixiao Zhang. Smith suspected that she might have fallen victim to a “brushing” scam, where e-commerce sellers send unsolicited packages to individuals and post fake positive reviews on their behalf to boost their ratings on online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay.
However, WUSA revealed that Smith’s situation was likely linked to a different type of vendor scheme. It appears that sellers in China use random addresses to send their unsold merchandise from Amazon fulfillment centers as a cost-effective way to remove inventory. WUSA traced the return packaging labels to 15 fulfillment centers in nine different states.
CJ Rosenbaum, a founding partner at the New York law firm Rosenbaum Famularo, explained the motive behind this scheme. He stated that sellers in China find it cheaper to send their unwanted products to random addresses rather than paying for their disposal.
Amazon confirmed that the seller account responsible for Smith’s unexpected packages violated their policies and has since been closed. An Amazon spokesperson emphasized their commitment to combating fraud and holding bad actors accountable.
As an environmental science professor, Smith didn’t want the items to go to waste. Instead, she took it upon herself to distribute them around town. She gave glue guns and headlamps to her neighbors, donated some to dog shelters and veterinary clinics, and even surprised employees at Burger King with a gift.
Smith’s unexpected delivery spree serves as a reminder of the various scams and schemes that can occur in the e-commerce world. It also highlights the importance of remaining vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity to protect oneself and others.