AKRON, Ohio — The Akron Police Department is warning the public about a scam that it says has been showing up in many states. 

What You Need To Know

  • The department said "brushing scams" are becoming more popular, which happens when "someone receives an unexpected gift or item not ordered in the mail from a place like Amazon or other company" 

  • Officials said the gift will have the recipient's address but not the sender's, or it'll be from a well-known retailer

  • Once the recipient opens the package to try to figure out what the gift is and where it's from, there's a QR code that prompts the recipient to scan to find out who sent it
  • The police department then said once the code is scanned, the information from the phone will be sent to scammers, and they receive access to the phone

The department said “brushing scams” are becoming more popular, which happens when “someone receives an unexpected gift or item not ordered in the mail from a place like Amazon or other company.” These gifts can include many things, such as jewelry, a bluetooth speaker and more. 

Officials said the gift will have the recipient’s address but not the sender’s, or it’ll be from a well-known retailer. Once the recipient opens the package to try to figure out what the gift is and where it’s from, there’s a QR code that prompts the recipient to scan to find out who sent it. 

The police department then said once the code is scanned, the information from the phone will be sent to scammers, and they receive access to the phone. Personal and financial information can be accessible. 

“The gift can be kept or thrown away, but the QR code should not be scanned for any reason,” the department wrote in a Facebook post. “QR code scams are nothing new. These scams show up in all places, including parking meters.”

The department encourages the public to inform their loved ones of the same, and never scan any unknown QR codes. 

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