MATTHEWS, N.C. — It's a strange scam: a package with a return label from China arrives in your mailbox and, most of the time, seeds are inside. Authorities have been warning people not to plant those seeds.
That's exactly what happened to someone in Matthews recently prompting the police department to issue an alert.
Matthews Police said the package will most likely show that it has been shipped from China and include information asking the recipient to plant the provided seeds and then post a review for a company.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently investigating similar cases of unsolicited seeds and warns people not to plant them. Officials say the seeds could be a pathway for introduction of invasive species, insects and plant diseases.
Just last week a woman in Charlotte contacted the WCNC Charlotte newsroom about a strange package she had received in the mail. Anita Dereen told Defender Bill McGinty the label read "cabbage seeds," but she plants and grows cabbage in her garden and the seeds did not look like the typical cabbage seeds she uses.
The USDA believes this is something called a "brushing scam" where items are sent from a seller who then solicits and posts false customer reviews to boost sales. Officials are trying to determine if the packages contain anything that could be a concern to U.S. agriculture or to the environment.
Anyone who received a shipment of unsolicited seeds should save them along with all shipping labels and packaging and contact the Plant Industry Division at 1-800-206-9333 or newpest@ncagr.gov.
