'Brushing' package scam comes to Ohio. Here's what to know, how to protect yourself

First, we had to deal with Ohio Turnpike smishing scams . Now, the latest scam has made its way to Ohio as officials warn everyone to be on the lookout.

The technique, known as brushing, involves fake packages that appear to come from Amazon or other companies, where boxes of unordered items are delivered to your doorstep.

Here's how the brushing scam works, and how you can avoid falling victim.

How the brushing scam using fake Amazon packages works

The brushing scam starts with a package delivery from Amazon or another service. There is no return address; instead, the unexpected package has a QR code that when scanned, pretends to show you who sent it.

Once you scan the package's QR code, it exposes your phone's personal information—including banking and financial details—which then gives scammers access to all the contents in your device. The Akron Police department shared on Facebook that QR scams are not new, and can even be found on places like parking meters.

Items inside the unwanted package can contain anything from a face mask to a Bluetooth speaker, according to the Better Business Bureau . Sometimes the sender can be an international, third-party seller that sends packages to create fake positive reviews in your name, thus inflating the ratings and boosting sales.

Scammers send these packages to publicly available names and addresses, so if you receive a package that you didn't order it's best to exercise caution. The Akron Police department adds that "The gift can be kept or thrown away, but the QR code should NOT be scanned for any reason."

Amazon says that it investigates reports of brushing and advises recipients of unordered packages to first check with family and friends to ensure they did not send the package. Once confirmed, the company suggests reporting the package online by submitting a Report Unwanted Package form or contacting customer service.

How to avoid brushing scams

The FBI provided tips on how to protect yourself against the brushing package scams, per the Palm Beach Post .

• Do not scan a randomly found QR code
• Be suspicious if, after scanning a QR code, the site asks for a password or login info
• Do not scan QR codes received in emails or text messages unless you know they are legitimate. Call the sender to confirm
• Some scammers are physically pasting bogus codes over legitimate ones. If it looks as though a code has been tampered with, don’t use it

If you think you've encountered or fallen victim to a scam, Ohio.gov notes that you can report it to the Ohio Attorney General's Office . Scams can be reported online with the option to submit anonymously, or you can contact your local law enforcement agency or call 9-1-1.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Brushing' package scam comes to Ohio. Here's what to know, how to protect yourself