You get a package from Amazon. Your name's on it. Your address is correct.

But you never ordered anything.

This is not an innocent mix-up. Police across the US are warning about a new scam, and the QR code inside the package is the trap.

Here's how it works:

Scammers send you an unsolicited package with Amazon branding. It looks completely real. Your name, your address, everything checks out. Inside, there's a small item (or sometimes just a note) and a QR code.

The QR code tells you to scan it to "find out who sent this gift," claim a reward for leaving a review, or "report a wrong delivery."

It may sound harmless, but it's not.

That QR code redirects you to a fake Amazon page designed to steal your login credentials. In some cases, it prompts you to download something to your phone, which then gives scammers access to sensitive data, including banking information.

One scan. That's all it takes to go from "mystery gift" to unauthorized charges or drained accounts.

This is actually a twist on an older scam called "brushing," where sellers ship cheap items to random addresses so they can post fake verified reviews. The 2026 version adds QR codes to turn a nuisance into an actual threat.

What to do if this happens to you:

• Don't scan the QR code. Ever.

• Don't enter any information on a site linked from the package.

• Open the Amazon app or go Amazon[dot]comdirectly and check your order history. If nothing's there, you have your answer.

• Monitor your bank and credit card statements for unusual activity.

If you already scanned the code and entered any information, change your Amazon password immediately, enable two-factor authentication if you haven't already, and contact your bank to flag potential fraud.

One more thing worth knowing:

QR codes are uniquely dangerous because you can't see where they lead before you scan. At least with a sketchy link in an email, you can hover over it and think twice. QR codes give you nothing. Keep that in mind anytime you encounter one in an unexpected context.

Stay safe out there.

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