Have you ever received a package in the mail that you didn’t order? Perhaps it was a cheap trinket, a phone case, or some random gadget shipped directly from China. If so, you may have been the victim of an insidious e-commerce scam known as “brushing”.
This article will take an in-depth look at the Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago IL 60609 brushing scam – how it works, what to do if you’re a victim, and how to protect yourself going forward. With online shopping more popular than ever, brushing scams are on the rise, so it’s important for consumers to stay informed.
Overview of the Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago IL 60609 Brushing Scam
The address Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago IL 60609 ste 4 in Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 is the location of a parcel forwarding company that specializes in cheap products shipped directly from China. This company receives bulk shipments of items purchased on Chinese e-commerce sites like Alibaba, AliExpress and Taobao, and then forwards the packages on to the final recipients in the United States via USPS.
This parcel forwarding service is being exploited by Chinese sellers looking to boost their sales numbers and reviews on platforms like Amazon and eBay. Here’s how the scam works:
How Sellers Obtain Names and Addresses
The first thing these sellers need is a list of names and addresses to send unsolicited items to. Most likely, your personal information was illegally obtained from a data breach on an e-commerce site or even a legitimate online order you placed in the past. They may have also obtained it through public records or shady online data brokers.
Packages Are Shipped to Unwitting Victims
Once they have your name and address, the scammers place orders on their own websites or products using fake buyer accounts. They ship an unsolicited, usually very low-cost item like a phone case or charging cable to your address via the parcel forwarding service in New Jersey.
False Reviews Are Written
When the parcel forwarding company shows that the package was delivered successfully, the seller then logs into the e-commerce site with fake buyer accounts, claims the product was satisfactory, and leaves a positive review. This artificially inflates their ranking and visibility on sites like Amazon.
Purpose: To Boost Seller Metrics
The purpose of this brushing scam is to boost the seller’s ratings and metrics on e-commerce marketplaces. Higher ratings lead to their products appearing higher in search results and lend an air of legitimacy to their storefronts. All those fake “sales” also boost their overall numbers, which helps sellers qualify to list more products on major retail platforms.
This gives the Chinese sellers an unfair advantage over legitimate competitors, especially when customers filter products based on reviews and popularity. It also erodes consumer trust in online reviews, as fake brushed reviews drown out real experiences.
How the Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago IL 60609 Brushing Scam Works
Now that we’ve covered the basics of brushing scams, let’s take a deeper look at how this particular operation works step-by-step:
1. Sellers Source Bulk Product Inventories
Chinese e-commerce sellers first source bulk quantities of cheap products from Chinese manufacturers and wholesalers to use for brushing purposes. Popular items used in these scams include phone cases, charging cables, selfie lights, Bluetooth speakers, and other generic gadgets that only cost a dollar or two to produce in bulk.
The sellers aren’t concerned with the quality of these products, only that they are cheap enough to profit from the false transactions. Name-brand products are rarely used, as the scam depends on sending out as many items as possible for minimal cost.
2. Sellers List Products on Major E-Commerce Sites
Next, they list these cheap products on major e-commerce sites like Amazon, eBay, Walmart Marketplace, and their own dedicated storefronts. They don’t expect real customers to buy these items. The product listings just provide a venue to execute the scam.
Often, dozens of nearly identical listings will be created across multiple sites to maximize reach. The listings usually contain stolen or stock product photos, vague descriptions, and fake reviews posted by the seller to initially boost credibility.
3. Sellers Obtain Names and Addresses of US Residents
As mentioned previously, seller acquire names and mailing addresses of potential US-based “customers” through various illegal methods, including:
- Accessing databases from past data breaches of e-commerce sites
- Purchasing data from shady online brokers
- Harvesting information from public records
- Accessing e-commerce user account information via hacking
The more names and addresses they have access to, the more brushing packages they can send out. Usually, the data contains names, addresses, and occasionally phone numbers and email addresses.
4. Packages Are Shipped to US Addresses
Armed with lists of names and addresses, the sellers then place fake orders on their own product listings using bogus buyer accounts. However, rather than shipping the items directly from China to US addresses, they utilize parcel forwarding services.
In this scam, the Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago IL 60609 company was used to forward hundreds or even thousands of small, individual orders from China to unwitting recipients across the US via USPS. This streamlines the brushing process for the sellers.
5. Reshipping Company Receives Bulk Shipments
The parcel forwarding service in New Jersey receives huge bulk shipments containing large quantities of identical, low-cost items ordered from Chinese sellers off of Alibaba, AliExpress, etc.
When the inventory arrives from China in big shipping containers, the reshipping company will then break it down into individual orders. This allows them to ship items one-by-one to US consumers using cheaper USPS First Class and letter rates.
6. Packages Are Mailed to Recipients’ Addresses
Once the bulk shipment is divided up, the reshipping company prints shipping labels for each individual order using the names and addresses provided by the Chinese sellers.
The small packages containing cheap brushing products are then mailed via USPS to the thousands of unsuspecting recipients across the United States. Most recipients never ordered or agreed to receive these items.
7. Sellers Post Fake Reviews
Finally, after the reshipping company confirms delivery, the sellers take the last step – posting fake 5-star reviews from the bogus buyer accounts used to place the orders.
The reviews prop up their products’ ratings, increase visibility in search results, provide “social proof” of popularity, and boost sales metrics. This gives them an unfair advantage and defrauds online shoppers relying on reviews.
Fake Shopping Websites Also Use This Brushing Tactic
This insidious brushing scam extends beyond just Chinese sellers on major retail platforms. Fake shopping websites also exploit these parcel forwarding services to add legitimacy to their own fraudulent operations.
When consumers order items on sham e-commerce sites – often while search for deep discounts on name brands – they’ll receive shipments from reshipping centers like the one in New Jersey instead of the expected products.
How Fake Sites Use Reshippers
Rather than shipping nothing and dealing with angry customers demanding refunds, these fake retail fronts will forward cheap, random items to provide delivery “proof”.
The items received in these sham packages are essentially worthless – cheap sunglasses, phone cords, stickers, or random electronics like USB drives. This still satisfies the scammy sites’ shipping requirements.
Preventing Victims From Filing Chargebacks
By providing bogus tracking numbers and packages – even containing useless contents – these fake sellers prevent credit card chargeback rights.
Under fraud protections, customers can file chargebacks when items aren’t shipped at all. But if fake tracking shows something was delivered, victims lose their refund rights.
Red Flags To Avoid Fake Sites
Avoid getting scammed by brushing schemes employed by fake sites by watching for red flags like dramatically low prices, new unknown domains, broken English descriptions, and blatantly stock product photos.
Stick to well-known retailers and carefully vet discounts sites claiming too-good-to-be true brand name deals. And review credit card statements routinely to spot unauthorized charges that need disputing.
Together we can minimize the impact of not just brushing scams but also the epidemic of fake e-commerce fronts using these insidious tactics to further their own underhanded goals.
What to Do if You Receive a Brushing Scam Package
If you receive a random, unsolicited package from China via USPS containing items you never ordered, you have a few options:
Confirm the Sender and Company Names
Check the package and shipping label for any company names and the sender’s address. Packages from brushing scams will typically show a sender’s address in China. Google the names to see if other people have reported them as scams.
Look Up the Return Address
The return address in the US is also a red flag, especially if it’s a residential address used as a parcel forwarding service. Search for the address online and see if it’s linked to any brushing scams. In this case, Geathers Fottys in Chicago showed up in relation to multiple reports.
Check Bank and Credit Card Statements
Double check your financial statements to make sure no unknown charges from foreign companies have appeared. Brushing scams shouldn’t charge your accounts, but it’s prudent to verify.
Ignore or Toss the Package
You can safely ignore or dispose of the package. Some people choose to keep the items, while others trash them right away to send a message. The sellers have already covered their costs, so keeping or tossing the item won’t impact them either way.
Leave Realistic Reviews
If you receive repeated scam packages, consider leaving factual reviews about the brushing tactics on the seller’s marketplace listings to warn other shoppers. However, fake negative reviews could be considered libel, so stick to factual accounts only.
Report the Seller
Notify the major e-commerce sites that the seller is running brushing scams by forwarding them labels, screenshots, and documentation. Their marketplace integrity teams may remove them entirely.
Update Your Personal Info
If the sellers obtained your name and address illicitly, then update any old passwords and monitor your financial accounts. Also remove your personal details from any public databases to prevent future misuse.
How to Protect Yourself from Brushing Scams
Here are some tips to avoid having your personal information used in brushing and fake review schemes:
- Remove your address and phone number from public data brokers like Spokeo and WhitePages if listed.
- Be vigilant about reporting data breaches involving your info and sign up for breach monitoring.
- Use unique complex passwords for every online account, especially shopping sites containing payment information. Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.
- Limit the amount of personal details you share publicly on social media profiles. Keep profiles private.
- Read product reviews carefully and watch for patterns that may indicate brushed fake reviews. Shop on trustworthy sites with strict seller controls.
- Routinely monitor bank and credit card charges for any unauthorized transactions. Report any suspicious charges promptly.
- Shred documents containing personal information before disposal to prevent dumpster divers from acquiring your details.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago Scam
1. What is the Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago brushing scam?
The Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago brushing scam refers to a parcel forwarding service located at 371 Little Falls Road Suite 4 in Cedar Grove, NJ that is being exploited by Chinese sellers. They use it to ship unsolicited items to American addresses in order to post fake reviews and boost their Amazon/eBay businesses.
2. How does the Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago brushing scam work?
Sellers first obtain names/addresses illegally through data breaches or shady online sources. They ship cheap, bulk-ordered items from China to the New Jersey forwarding service, which then mails individual packages to unsuspecting recipients in the US via USPS. Once delivery is confirmed, the sellers post fake 5-star reviews.
3. What is the purpose of this brushing scam?
The purpose is to boost the seller’s ratings, metrics, and search visibility on sites like Amazon. The scheme makes it appear they have more sales and happy customers than they really do, increasing traffic and fooling shoppers into thinking their store is legitimate based on reviews.
4. What items are typically sent in these brushing packages?
Cheap gadgets like phone cases, charging cables, selfie lights, and Bluetooth speakers are commonly used. Sellers choose inexpensive items bought in bulk from Chinese manufacturers and wholesalers to maximize profit. The quality is low since the goal is sending out high volumes of packages.
5. What should I do if I receive an unsolicited package from Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago?
If you receive a random package you didn’t order from this address, you can safely ignore or toss it. Check bank statements for any unauthorized charges just in case. Make note of the company name sending it and report them to Amazon/eBay to get their accounts removed.
6. How can I protect myself from brushing scams?
Remove personal info from data broker sites, use unique passwords, limit oversharing on social media, monitor financial statements routinely, avoid public WiFi for shopping, clear saved passwords/info from browsers regularly, and shred documents containing sensitive personal details before disposal.
7. Can I get in trouble for items received from brushing scams?
No, recipients of these unsolicited packages won’t get in any legal trouble. You never placed the order or consented to receive it, so you have no obligation regarding the item. Do not worry about keeping or tossing it. The seller has already paid the wholesale cost and written it off.
8. What should I do if unsolicited packages keep arriving?
If the same seller keeps sending you brushing packages, try contacting their customer support and requesting removal from their mailing list. Also contact the Amazon/eBay integrity teams about their frequent brushing tactics when using your address. Monitor your credit reports as well.
9. Are there other variants of brushing scams?
Yes, fake e-commerce sites also use brushing tactics by shipping cheap items to provide bogus tracking numbers. This prevents victims from filing chargebacks after ordering from scam websites. Carefully inspect sites before placing orders to avoid these shady retailers.
10. How can I report suspicious seller accounts?
Contact Amazon or eBay to alert them of any seller accounts engaging in systematic brushing activity. Include evidence like packaging materials showing the seller’s information. Their investigators can shut down accounts confirmed to be violating policies.
The Bottom Line
In summary, the Geathers Fottys 3646 S Wolcott Ave Chicago IL 60609 brushing scam illustrates how fraudulent sellers exploit consumers and marketplace loopholes to boost their business metrics. But armed with the right knowledge, online shoppers can take steps to protect their identity and finances.
Be wary of any unexpected packages from China, ignore or dispose of the items, and report the seller to the relevant e-commerce platforms. Also monitor statements closely for fraud. Together we can fight back against these abusive brushing tactics and force marketplaces to better police their sellers.
Shoppers should be able to trust product listings and ratings. When scammers pollute sites with brushed fake reviews, it casts doubt on legitimate businesses. If repeated brushing packages from the same seller keep arriving on your doorstep, they must face consequences from the e-commerce platforms empowering them.
In the end, awareness is the best medicine against predatory practices like brushing scams. Avoid letting your personal information fall into the wrong hands, and be a smart, guarded consumer when shopping online. Protect your identity, ignore dubious packages, report sketchy sellers, and leave the platform if they fail to take action. United, we can purge these scams from online retail and renew faith in the online shopping experience.
