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“We don't want people opening those up, don't put them in the mail, certainly don’t plant them. Contact us. Let us pick them up. Treat them like they are radioactive like they are Kryptonite,” Miller said in an interview with a local TV station.

Amazon brushing scheme is possible 

There have been some reports that the mystery seeds are the result of an “Amazon brushing” scam.

North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services also reported the deliveries were “likely the product of an international Internet scam.”

“According to the Better Business Bureau, foreign, third-party sellers use your address and Amazon information to generate a fake sale and positive review to boost their product ratings,” said Phil Wilson, director of the Plant Industry Division. “Seeds are just one of the items used in this scam, however, you could receive other inexpensive items such as rubber bands, plastic toys, or empty bags."

A brushing scam is where an Amazon vendor tries to bolster their product ratings to increase visibility online by shipping an unsolicited inexpensive product to an unknowing receiver and then submits glowing positive reviews on the receiver’s behalf under the guise of a verified owner.

They typically set up a fake email account to create an Amazon profile, then purchase the items with a gift card and ship them to the address of a random person.

Once the package is delivered, the owner of the Amazon account is then listed as a “verified buyer” of the product and can write a positive review of it that gets higher placement on product pages because of their status, according to James Thomson, a former business consultant for Amazon.

However, the deliveries of the plant seeds seem to be more widespread than first thought. This may be an underreported phenomenon. Many people may have thrown the packages away on receipt. It is also not clear if it’s Amazon or another e-commerce site where the fake reviews are being posted.

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