Cleveland County woman startled to find unsolicited masks from China in her mailbox

CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – You’ve likely heard about the unsolicited seeds people are receiving in the mail from China, but that’s not the only odd packages some are getting.

A Cleveland County woman received a package of face masks from Shanghai that she never ordered.

It left her scratching her head after taking some precautions.

“I just literally took it and went and put it in a Ziplock bag, washed my hands, zipped the bag, washed my hands again and then start calling around,” said Cindy. 

The arrival of these masks startled Cindy, who prefers the quiet life with her family and beloved ducks.

She doesn’t get packages in the mail often. In fact, she’s only shopped online once in an effort to keep her information offline.

“I don’t want people knowing who I am, where I’m at,” Cindy said. 

So the package of masks from Shanghai with her name, address and phone number was alarming.

“My boyfriend was like ‘What’s wrong?’” she said. “I’m like ‘It’s from China, take it, I don’t want it!’”

The surprise delivery is similar to the unsolicited seeds from China many across the United States have received.

Now, a growing number of people are receiving masks like Cindy, including some people she knows.

She called the local sheriff’s office but said there’s nothing they could do.So she made another phone call. 

“I called y’all,” Cindy said. “Y’all will know something.”

KFOR did a little digging and found that the Better Business Bureau says this is likely a “brushing scam” in which sellers get your name, address or even your Amazon profile.

They will then send you items like masks, seeds, or even electronics and post fake reviews online in your name, listing you as a verified buyer.

Scams like this appear to be a growing trend leaving some like Cindy on edge, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

​“Just take your precautions before going out there and getting into stuff you don’t really know about,” she said. 

She’s going to keep wearing masks, just not the ones she got in the mail.

The Federal Trade Commission says if you receive an unsolicited package like this it’s a good idea to start changing your passwords, especially on retail sites.

Officials say you don’t have to send the products back, but you also don’t have to keep them.

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