A couple keeps getting mysterious Amazon packages they didn't order — and they can't make it stop

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February 7, 2018 6:51 PM

Experts say a couple in the Boston area could be the target of a scam involving Amazon reviews.

One couple keeps getting unsolicited
They say that despite contacting the company, they can't get the deliveries to stop.
Experts say the couple could be the target of a scam involving Amazon reviews.

One Boston-area couple is getting the Amazon treatment — and they want it to stop.

Since October, Mike and Kelly Gallivan have received 25 Amazon packages that neither of them ordered, they told The Boston Globe. Low-cost items like USB-powered desktop plastic fans and humidifiers, computer vacuums, Bluetooth speakers, and phone chargers have started piling up in their home.

At first, the random packages were a fun surprise, they said. But the fun has worn off, they're now creeped out and want it to stop, they told The Globe.

The couple said Amazon told them the items were sent using a gift card, meaning there was no sender information it could give them — and whoever is doing it has so far remained anonymous.

Experts who talked to The Globe said the couple was probably the victim of a scam intended to game the reviews system on Amazon's website.

Here's how the scam works: A seller has something listed on the website, then a fake account created by them or someone close to them buys the item and sends it somewhere random, like the Gallivans' house. That account can then leave a glowing "verified review," which is worth a lot more to sellers.

The Gallivans told The Globe that Amazon told them months ago it was investigating but that they had not been alerted to any progress.

In a statement to Business Insider, Amazon said: "We are investigating inquiries from consumers who have received unsolicited packages as this would violate our policies. We have confirmed the sellers involved did not receive names or shipping addresses from Amazon. We remove sellers in violation of our policies, withhold payments, and work with law enforcement to take appropriate action."

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