****SCAM ALERT**** From the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office.
With the holiday season in full swing, we want you to be aware of a recent scam called “brushing” that is circulating around the US.
A “brushing” scam occurs when someone receives an unexpected gift or item not ordered in the mail from a place like Amazon or another company. Examples of gifts include rings, bracelets, necklaces, Bluetooth speakers, etc. The gift will have the recipient’s address but not include the sender’s information or be from a known retailer. When the recipient opens the package to see what it is and possibly who sent it, there is a QR code to scan to find out who sent the gift.
Once the code is scanned, all the information from that phone will be sent to scammers, who receive all access to the phone. The scammers have access to all personal and financial information, and often, the victim’s bank accounts are drained.
If you encounter this, DO NOT scan the QR code.