Agriculture officials warn of Chinese ‘brushing scam’ that threatens U.S. biosecurity

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Agriculture officials are warning of a biosecurity threat stemming from unsolicited packages being mailed in from China.

Packets of seeds are being sent to addresses in the state, according to a social media post from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

The post seed packets are part of a brushing scam, meaning unsolicited packages without a return address are distributed to generate fraudulent reviews, boosting ratings and sales numbers.

Agriculture officials ask anyone who receives seeds in the mail from an unknown sender to file a report by calling 304-558-3200.