If You Get A Diamond Ring In The Mail In Illinois, You Do Not Want It

Bling isn't always good.

I'll be the first of many to admit that I love some good jewelry. I won't hate on a pair of beautiful earrings or definitely a shiny diamond ring. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, right?

Not this holiday season, apparently.

Surprise, But Not A Good One

Scammers ruin everything. The United States Postal Inspector is warning you about brushing scams. The idea of getting a surprise diamond ring in the mail sounds great to me, but it's not a good thing.

Scammers will buy diamond rings off of Amazon or eBay (they're mostly moissanite rings and even some knockoff Cartier). They'll send it to you (a verified buyer) so they can post positive reviews of the product for themselves (under your name).

So therefore: if you get a ring in the mail, your personal information has possibly been leaked.

That could include your name, address, phone number, and who knows what else. It's so easy for these creeps to get this information this time of the year as we're all doing a lot of online Christmas shopping.

You Got A Ring In The Mail. Now What?

Here's what the USPIS says to do:

• Don't pay for it
• Return to Sender (If it has a return address, and it's unopened, mark it “RETURN TO SENDER” and USPS will return it at no charge to you)
• Throw it Away
• Keep It (hey it's free and cute, might as well. Or you could regift it)
• Change Your Account Passwords
• Watch Your Credit Card Statements & Credit Reports
• Notify Authorities (especially if instead of a ring, the brushing scam was some kind of food, plants, or a random liquid)
• Be Wary Before Opening 
• Notify The Retailer (If unsolicited merchandise arrives from Amazon, eBay, or another third-party seller, go to that company’s website and file a fraud report. Ask the company to remove any fake reviews under your name.)

Be extra careful online shopping this holiday season!