Treat an unexpected package separately from junk-mail ads

A package you did not order needs a different response from a printed advertisement, and an advertising opt-out will not address it. If it is addressed to you, first find out whether someone sent it as a gift or whether an order was placed. If neither explanation holds up, consider brushing, where unexpected packages are tied to fake marketplace reviews or attempts to steal information.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated October 2, 2026.

Sort the parcel before deciding what it is

Read the label. If the package is addressed to someone else, do not open it or treat it as yours.
Ask household members and likely gift senders whether they sent it. Check your order history by opening the retailer's site or app yourself, not through anything inside the box.
Leave any QR code in the package unused. A code in an unexpected parcel may lead to a phishing site instead of a real gift message or return process.
If the parcel is still unexplained, find the marketplace named on the packaging through its official site and contact it there. For suspected brushing, the FTC also directs people to file a report.
Keep the box, label and contents as they arrived, and write down any report reference you receive.

Ordinary explanations come first

An unexpected parcel may be a gift, forgotten order or misdelivery, so check those possibilities first. Once you establish that merchandise was truly unordered and sent to you, the FTC says you do not have to pay for it or return it. That rule does not make a package addressed to someone else yours.

An unexplained package alone does not identify who arranged it or prove the named seller committed fraud. Keep any account information private while you contact the verified marketplace.

Private parcel checklist

Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.

Date received: [date] Addressee matches me: [yes/no] Gift or order checked through a known channel: [who or which account, how checked] QR code left unused: [yes/no] Marketplace named on packaging: [marketplace name] Marketplace contacted independently: [date, how contacted, response] Report filed: [date, reference number or not filed] Original box and label kept: [yes/no]

Decide whether to file

If the package remains unexplained after the order and gift checks, record the marketplace's answer and report suspected brushing through the official route. Keep the label details and reference number. A later demand does not make confirmed unordered merchandise payable; preserve that demand with your report.

Official sources

Handle a bill for office supplies no one ordered Choose between mail-fraud and delivery support routes Verify a number printed on unfamiliar mail Suspicious mail All practical mail guides

Keep personal records with the organization that handles them

Junk Mail Magic is for ordinary unwanted advertising. Use the official contact route in this guide for records, account changes or someone else’s correspondence.

Compare removal routes