Documents from federal and state departments of agriculture reveal that hundreds, and possibly thousands, of people planted mysterious seeds believed to have been shipped from China. "Before an ecommerce site will consider an order valid, a shipment must be initiated to complete the transaction. Those who have received unsolicited shipments, of seeds or other products, should consider the possibility that their personal information has been partially compromised. Some Americans are randomly being sent mysterious envelopes full of unlabeled seeds from China. Seeds from China have been received in the mail by a number of Americans, and state officials are warning recipients not to plant them because they could be invasive, even poisonous, species. A number of confused residents in Washington, Virginia, Utah, Kansas, Arizona and Louisiana were sent small seed packages in the mail, with labels suggesting they were sent from China. A strange package has been sent to people in multiple states: random, unidentified seeds from China. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Records on the packages appear to have been falsified, according to checks by Chinaâs postal service, Wenbin said at a ⦠Some of the mystery seeds from China sprouting up in the mailboxes across the US have finally been identified â as harmless cooking ingredients, according to federal officials.. A Clinton Township family is among people in multiple states reporting receiving mysterious packets of various seeds in the mail, apparently from China, that they didn't order. Documents from state agencies record a range from responses, with some people eating the mystery seeds, or planting them in their gardens, while others called 911. Scientific American spoke with an invasion biologist, who said the USDA is likely identifying seeds by sight at first, followed by a genetic analysis. "We believe these latter packages are part of a brushing scam," the USDA spokesperson confirmed. In a brushing scam, small-value items are shipped to addresses from third-party sellers, who can then use the shipment to claim your identity as a "verified buyer" and write a glowing review. Plant labs in Utah and New Mexico identified a variety of shipped seeds, including amaranth, rose, mint, sweet potato, clovers, onion, cucumber, alfalfa, corn, hollyhock, spearmint and daisy seeds. Those with yet-untapped seed potential might not know how robust the skill of seed identification is. New Jersey officials have alerted farming and agriculture boards and agencies throughout the state about the seeds. British Mail Intros Delightful Electric Mail Truck, How to Stop Your Boss From Spying on Your Company E-mail, China Is Buying Giant Attack Hovercraft From Russia, Why China Needs Google More Than Google Needs China. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Popular Mechanics participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. By using the brushing scam, they also are increasing their sales numbers. Sellers carrying out brushing scams will often ship inexpensive items to complete these transactions. The packages were sent by mail and may have Chinese writing on them. Americans are receiving packets of "mystery seeds" shipped from China. "Third party sellers are prohibited from sending unsolicited packages to customers and we take action on those who violate our policies, including withholding payments, suspending or removing selling privileges, or working with law enforcement. Most Americans probably don’t have experience with seeds except as the nuisances they remove from fruits and vegetables, since most of us live in cities or towns. And one 2018 survey of people between 18 and 64 found that just 29 percent of people between the ages of 50 and 64 had gardened in the last year, and the percentages fell to 21 percent of people ages 30 to 49 and just 11 percent of people 18 to 29. Most seeds that have been shared online look like dry citrus seeds, whose biggest threat seems to be breaking your heart because you live somewhere other than Florida or California. "We have not found anything alarming," Osama El-Lissy of the USDA's Animal and Plant Protection Program said in a broadcast provided by the department, describing some of the seeds as "noxious weeds. pic.twitter.com/NBJybJmJGG, These are the mysterious seeds I received in the mail. "At this time, we don't have any evidence indicating this is something other than a 'brushing scam' where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales," the agency said. Public notices about unsolicited shipments of seeds from China were also issued by agriculture officials in Washington State, Virginia, Kentucky, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, ⦠The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has publicly asked people not to plant the seeds, and to instead send them to the USDA for testing by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). He added checks from China⦠Is China Getting Ready To Test a Railgun? The unknown seeds come in packages that are marked as jewelry or other items, according to Twitter users, who have shared concerns and photos online of the unsolicited packages. The Doomsday Vault That Stores the World's Seeds, How To Plant a Garden That Takes Care of Itself, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Non-mystery seeds used in the creation of a vegetable garden during Plant a Seed Day in Hawthorne, California on March 13, 2019. While few satisfactory explanations for the unsolicited seed packment shipments have emerged, officials raised the possibility that the seeds are part of what's known as a "brushing" campaign. And donât throw them away. Those mysterious seeds from China have been in the headlines, but weâre also hearing about other stuff that people are getting that looks connected to the seed mystery. People across the country are receiving mysterious packages from China that contain unknown seeds. So ⦠The packages appear to have originated in China, though it's unclear who exactly is â¦