Respond to an Unordered Package at a Shared Home
Verify an unordered package without scanning enclosed codes, then secure the recipient's shopping accounts.
Respond to an Unordered Package at a Shared Home
Do not scan a QR code, call a number, or visit a website printed inside an unordered package. First confirm that no resident, guest, relative, employer, or subscription sent it. Then photograph the label, secure the package away from children and pets, notify the named recipient privately, and check that person's shopping accounts for compromise.
An unexpected parcel may be a gift or address mistake, but it can also be a brushing scam. In that scheme, a seller ships a cheap item to create delivery evidence and posts a fake review using the recipient's identity.
Verify without engaging the sender
Read the recipient name and address aloud only to the people who manage household deliveries. Do not post the label in a group chat that includes guests or former residents. Check recent order histories, gift registries, household subscriptions, workplace shipments, and tracking notices through accounts you open independently.
If the parcel is for a former resident, follow the carrier's official process rather than opening it. If it is correctly addressed to a current resident but nobody ordered it, save a photo of all sides before opening. Use gloves or isolate it and contact emergency services if it leaks, emits an odor, contains powder, has wires, or otherwise appears dangerous. A brushing scam usually involves ordinary cheap merchandise, but appearance alone cannot establish safety.
The FTC's August 2026 alert about brushing scams warns that an enclosed QR code may lead to a phishing site seeking card details, usernames, or passwords. The agency advises changing passwords on online shopping accounts, messaging the marketplace, checking credit reports, and reporting the scam. It also states that recipients do not have to return or pay for unordered merchandise.
Protect the named recipient's identity
Open the retailer or marketplace from a saved bookmark or manually typed official address. Review orders, archived orders, saved addresses, payment methods, logged-in devices, messages, reviews, and account security. Change the shopping-account password to a unique one and enable the provider's strongest available multifactor authentication. If that password was reused anywhere else, change those accounts too.
Check card and bank activity for unfamiliar charges. Obtain credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized source linked by the FTC, and inspect them for unfamiliar accounts or addresses. A package does not prove identity theft, but it shows that someone has at least a name and delivery address.
Report the seller or shipment to the marketplace using its official support channel. Report suspected fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Keep the package label and report confirmation long enough to answer follow-up questions, then destroy the label before recycling the box.
Do not pay an invoice for something nobody ordered. Do not send the item to an address supplied by an unknown caller. Be cautious about using food, cosmetics, seeds, electronics, children's products, or anything else whose origin and safety cannot be verified.
Coordinate the response in HomeCo
Create a private HomeCo incident task visible only to the named recipient and the household delivery coordinator. Record the arrival date, carrier, marketplace report number, account-security check, credit-report check, and label-disposal date. Store any label photo in a restricted folder and delete it when no longer needed.
Pair the incident with the household's rule for fake package-delivery texts. Both scams exploit uncertainty around shared deliveries, so residents should verify through official order histories instead of links, QR codes, or callback numbers supplied in a message or parcel.
FAQ
Do I have to return an unordered package?
The FTC says you do not have to pay for or return merchandise you did not order. That rule does not make mail addressed to another person yours. Use the carrier's official process for a former resident or wrong recipient.
Should I scan the QR code to identify the sender?
No. The QR code may lead to a phishing site. Check order histories and contact the marketplace through its official app or a manually entered website instead.
Does an unordered package mean my card was charged?
Not necessarily. Brushing scammers may use publicly available or stolen name-and-address data without accessing a payment card. Still, review shopping accounts, financial statements, and credit reports for other warning signs.