Over 750 Canadians Have Received Mystery Seeds In The Mail & They Might Be Part Of A Scam

The plot of people receiving packages of mystery seeds in Canada continues to thicken. While they are reportedly low-risk plant species, they have already been received by hundreds of people. They may also be part of an online shopping scam.

An August 6 update from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says that over 750 people across all provinces have received the unsolicited seeds in the mail.

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Further investigation by the CFIA has revealed that many of these items were declared as toys or jewellery and originate from several different countries.

The agency has determined that the seeds being sent are generally not dangerous or invasive species.

They have been identified as being from plants including tomato, strawberry, rose and citrus. 

Some seeds are also weeds that are common in Canada, such as shepherd's purse and flixweed.

Still, Canadians are being advised not to plant anything that they did not order.

The CFIA says they are considering all options for why these packages are being sent to people, including the possibility that they might be part of a "brushing" scam.

This is when online retailers send unsolicited parcels to people so that they can post fake positive reviews on their websites.

Some of the Canadians who have received these items have reported that they previously ordered seeds online.

Anyone who has been sent a package of seeds that they did not order is advised to keep them in a sealed bag inside of another sealed bag.

They should then report the seeds to a local CFIA office and await further instructions.

The seeds should not be flushed, thrown away, or composted, as they could end up sprouting.

Similar packages were received by people in the United States, as well. The CFIA has said that they are exchanging information with American officials, but may not be able to determine the source of the unsolicited items.

The Canada Border Services Agency is also working with the CFIA to try and find out where these packages are coming from and prevent their entry into the country.