(Idaho State) The Idaho Sheriffs’ Association has issued yet another warning for the public to keep an eye out for scams this holiday season. Many  Idaho residents have reported a new “brushing scam”.
A “brushing” scam is 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 on that phone is accessible to the scammers including personal and financial information. Often the victim’s bank accounts are drained. The gift can be kept or thrown away, but the QR code should NOT be scanned for any reason. QR code scams are nothing new.
These scams show up in all places, including parking meters. Inform your family members and friends about the scam and avoid scanning any unknown QR codes included on unexpected the package.
If you or someone you know suspects a scam attempt, please report it to your local law enforcement.