(01-31-2021, 10:11 PM)homebiscuit Wrote:

(01-31-2021, 07:49 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: There is a scam right now where people order stuff on Amazon, in someone else's name, so they can impersonate that person and post 5-star reviews.  People are reporting that they are getting stuff they didn't order, usually something really cheap.  What they don't know is that the person who ordered the stuff is using their name to post a review.  

Here's how it works: 

Explanation

"Here's how these scams work: Third-party sellers on Amazon, eBay and other online marketplaces pay people to write fake, positive reviews about their products, or do it themselves. To be able to post the reviews, these so-called "brushers" need to trick the site into making it appear that a legitimate transaction took place. So they'll use a fake account to place gift orders and address them to a random person whose name and address they find online. Then, instead of actually mailing the item for which they want to post a review, the brushers will send a cheap, often lightweight item that costs less to ship.


"Sending an item (even the wrong one) creates a tracking number, and when the package is delivered, it enables brushers to write a verified review. "

So that might have something to do with all these 5 star reviews from "verified purchasers."   

This happened to my youngest daughter a few years ago. She started receiving junky items from Amazon, like an organizer and grinding wheels for a drill. I got on the phone with Amazon and asked why my daughter was receiving this stuff. They were clueless.