Mystery masks from China should be thrown away, watchdog warns Charlotte residents
Mysterious packages from China are arriving on doorsteps again — but it’s not seeds.
“Online merchants obtain your name and address and send you a small package that arrives in a plain brown envelope... unordered,” Tom Bartholomy said. “This time around when you open the package you find a single mask.”
Bartholomy is the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Charlotte. At least seven residents in the Charlotte area have reported receiving the unsolicited mask packages since Jan. 25, he told McClatchy News in an email, and more have been reported across the country.
Mystery face masks started arriving in other parts of the U.S. as early as August, including Texas, Florida and Virginia, McClatchy News previously reported.
The packages resemble the seed packets sent to residents across the U.S. over the summer, which prompted the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services to warn recipients not to plant them.
U.S. Department of Agriculture officials identified at least 14 species of the mystery seeds in August, including mustard and cabbage, some herbs and roses.
About 1,000 seed packets were picked up in North Carolina, according to state agricultural officials. Phil Wilson, director of the Plant Industry Division at the state agriculture department, told McClatchy News they documented who received them and when, whether they were destroyed or planted, and what they grew into.
Some 67 packets were planted, while less than 30 were destroyed.
“Last fall we encouraged folks to not plant the seeds,” Bartholomy said. “Same advice this time, do not wear the mask. You don’t know where it came from, you don’t know how it was made and you didn’t order it... throw it away.”
The unexpected deliveries are part of what’s known as a “brushing scam,” in which online merchants will get the names and addresses of people and send them a product, he said.
“What the merchant does at that point is go online to either Amazon or Alibaba depending on who they work with and post a glowing 5-star review using your name,” Bartholomy said. “That is what they are after — to build their reputation in the online marketplace. It costs them very little and they guarantee themselves a positive review.”
