A Reddit user was puzzled after repeatedly receiving unwanted packages filled with plastic coins. The mystery deepened when they spotted Vinted on the shipping labels, even though they said they had never used the resale platform.
Here's what to know
In a post on Reddit's r/Scams community, the recipient described deliveries containing a few plastic coins and a note. No fraudulent card charges appeared to be connected to the deliveries; each package listed a different return address, with no business named.
One commenter reported receiving a letter rather than their Vinted order, prompting the original poster to take a closer look at the shipping labels.
"You're right, it is vinted... I just noticed that word in fine print on the shipping labels. I definitely didn't order from them, i never heard of the site or ordered clothes," the original poster responded. "I'll try reporting it to them, I got another 2 packages of those stupid coins after posting this. And those ones aren't even addressed to me."
More background
One commenter identified the deliveries as a "Brushing scam." The U.S. Postal Inspection Service defines this as an illegal operation where international, third-party sellers find an individual's address online and write fake reviews in their name, giving "the impression that the recipient is a verified buyer who has written positive online reviews of the merchandise."
Another commenter suggested the packages could instead be tied to tracking manipulation involving genuine purchases.
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"Platforms (possibly Vinted, but definitely like Amazon, Etsy, [etc.]) will demand that sellers provide a tracking number to prove the item was shipped. And if you say you are US based and ship from the U.S., you can't provide an AliExpress (Cainiao) tracking number that clearly shows the item came from China," they explained. "So what they'll do is snail mail this little card saying 'your order is coming' and provide the USPS tracking number as the order number."
What can be done?
The Reddit thread advised checking shopping-account transactions for unauthorized purchases and using in-app support to check whether the recipient's account or cards were involved.
For the commenter whose Vinted purchase had been replaced by a letter, the possibility that the merchandise might still arrive offered little reassurance.
"I haven't heard of one instance where the person actually got their item after getting a letter like this," they wrote.
Where can I learn more?
Reports of unsolicited packages and suspicious online sales offer some context for the plastic-coin mystery.
• Unexpected packages can signal a brushing scam that uses recipients' names for fake reviews.
• McDonald's Monopoly pieces appeared early on eBay, prompting resellers to suspect an inside job.
• In the US, an unexpected Apple Cash payment preceded a stranger's basketball-related plea.
• Reddit users flagged a $650 Honda generator offer as a likely shopping-site scam.
• In London, a fake-vinyl seller was jailed after police found 15,000 bogus records.
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