Don’t Plant These Mysterious Seeds
No one knows why people across the country are getting unsolicited seed packages from China, but the USDA is trying to figure it out. In a statement this week, they gave some tips on what to do if you receive one of these packages.
If you received seeds in the mail that you did not order:
- Don’t plant them
- Save all packaging, including the mailing label.
- Contact government regulators
So who are you notifying about this? The USDA says you can look at this web page to find a plant government regulator, or this one to find your state’s plant health director.
Regulators suggest this is a dental cleaning scam . With this kind of scam, the company buys its own goods, usually inexpensive, and ships them … honestly, it doesn’t matter to whom. The point is to fix the purchase so that the scammer can write a flamboyant review that looks like it was written by a real customer.
So if this is a toothbrushing scam, you are more of an outside observer than a victim. The only caveat on this is that the Better Business Bureau, when talking about scam cleaners in general, indicates that the scammer must somehow get your address, which means that your personal information could have been part of the hack.
In general, if you received something in the mail that you did not order, you can keep it for yourself. But seeds are a problem for US agriculture because, well, what are they? They can be invasive and the seeds can carry pests. Whatever they are, don’t plant them. Save the package and contact your state regulatory agencies.