Brushing (e-commerce)

Brushing refers to a fraudulent practice in e-commerce where sellers create fake customer accounts and generate fictitious orders and reviews to artificially inflate their product ratings, sales figures, and overall seller reputation. This manipulation aims to deceive genuine customers into believing that the products are more popular and of higher quality than they actually are.

Mechanism:

The "brushing" scam typically involves the following steps:

1. Obtaining Customer Information: Scammers often acquire personal information, such as names, addresses, and phone numbers, through data breaches, phishing schemes, or by purchasing it on the dark web.
2. Creating Fake Orders: Using the stolen or purchased information, the scammers create multiple fake customer accounts and place orders for their own products. They may use prepaid cards or other methods to pay for these orders, or sometimes, no payment is actually made.
3. Shipping Low-Value Items: In some cases, a low-value or inexpensive item is actually shipped to the address associated with the fake order. This step further legitimizes the transaction in the eyes of the e-commerce platform. These items are often inexpensive, lightweight goods like seeds, beads, or small plastic trinkets.
4. Writing Fake Reviews: Once the fake order is "delivered" (often to an unwitting recipient), the scammers write positive reviews for their products, further enhancing their reputation on the platform. These reviews often contain generic or repetitive language designed to boost the product's perceived quality and desirability.

Impact and Consequences:

Brushing has several negative consequences:

• Deception of Customers: It misleads genuine customers into making purchasing decisions based on false information.
• Damage to Trust: It undermines trust in the e-commerce platform and the reliability of its rating and review system.
• Distorted Search Rankings: Artificially inflated sales figures can lead to the scammer's products being ranked higher in search results, further amplifying their reach.
• Unsolicited Goods: Recipients of unsolicited packages (often low-value items) associated with brushing may be confused or concerned about the origin of the goods.
• Data Security Risks: The use of stolen personal information poses a significant data security risk to the individuals whose information has been compromised.

Detection and Prevention:

E-commerce platforms and customers can take steps to detect and prevent brushing:

• Platform Monitoring: E-commerce platforms should implement algorithms and monitoring systems to identify suspicious patterns in order and review activity.
• Customer Reporting: Customers should report any unsolicited packages they receive, especially if they did not order them.
• Account Security: Customers should take steps to protect their online accounts, such as using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication.
• Skepticism: Be wary of products with an unusually high number of positive reviews, especially if the reviews seem generic or repetitive.
• Review Verification: Some platforms are starting to implement mechanisms to verify the authenticity of reviews, such as requiring reviewers to provide proof of purchase.