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▲ The above picture is not directly related to the content of the article.


Recently, it has been found that international mail delivered to a building in Seogwipo, Jeju is likely to be a so-called 'brushing scam' that randomly sends empty parcels for review manipulation.



Today (19th), the Jeju Seogwipo Police Station announced that as a result of a detailed analysis of the unidentified international mail reported to the police on the 14th by the Jeju Branch of the National Forensic Service, no suspected substances such as narcotics were detected.



A week ago, an international mail sent from Taiwan was delivered to a building in Goseong-ri, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si.



The invoice on the outside of the wrapper had the addressee's name and mobile phone number written on it, but Mr. A did not live at that address and had never ordered the mail.



The owner of the building to which this mail was delivered received a total of eight 'empty parcels' from Ukraine, Taiwan and Uzbekistan this year alone.



The police are presuming it to be a 'brushing scam' considering that no suspected narcotic substances were detected in the mail reported this time, and that there was nothing in the mail other than a cushioning air cap.



A 'brushing scam' is an act of manipulating online shopping mall sales performance and ratings by sending unordered items to anyone and then posting product reviews pretending to be the recipient.



It is a fraud method that exploits the tendency of consumers to select products in the order of the most reviews or purchases.



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▲ Seeds shipped to the US, UK, Canada, and Japan in 2020 (Photo=Yonhap News)


Previously, in 2020, there were a series of suspected cases of 'brushing scams', such as unidentified seeds and masks being delivered to various parts of the United States.



Seeds from China were shipped to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan, and suspicions of 'bioterrorism' were raised at the time.



In the same year, unordered masks were also delivered to Florida, Virginia, and Pennsylvania in the United States.



In response, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Trade Improvement Association (BBB) ​​of the United States announced that both seeds and masks are likely to be 'brushing scams'. 



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▲ International mail delivered to Korea last May.

(Photo = provided by the informant, Yonhap News)


Meanwhile, in Korea, there was a case in which empty parcels were delivered one after another from Uzbekistan and Malaysia in May. 



Mr. B, who received the parcel, said, "I've never done direct purchase overseas, but I feel like personal information has been leaked," he said.

If you suspect a brushing scam

The problem with brushing scams is that personal information is highly likely to be misused even if it does not cause immediate financial damage.



An official from the Korea Consumer Agency said, "If an unordered parcel arrives, it is better not to throw it away to prevent future disputes." "If the sender is clear, as in a famous online shopping mall, "It's important to have evidence," he said.



If you suspect overseas personal information leakage, you can file a complaint with KISA (Korea Internet & Security Agency) 118 by collecting information (URL, screen capture, etc.) of the site suspected of being leaked.