A SCAM where people are sent unsolicited packets of seeds in the mail so the mailers can artificially boost their online sales approval ratings has spread to Australia.
While it is not believed the seeds have been sent with the intent of causing harm through a biosecurity breach, Australian officials are taking the risk seriously.
Chief executive of the Australian Seed Federation (ASF) Osman Mewett said there was a very real threat of exotic pests or disease pathogens getting loose via the unscrutinised parcels of seed.
He urged anyone who had received a packet of seeds in the mail to contact the federal Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment and to not plant them.
While acknowledging there may be a natural curiosity to see what the seeds turned out to be, Mr Mewett warned the consequences were too grave to risk planting the seeds, with a worst case scenario that the seed is infected with an exotic disease that could cause harm to Australia's plant health.
"If you receive seed packages via the mail that you have not ordered, please report these to Australia's biosecurity officials as soon as possible," Mr Mewett said.
"You should only plant and use seed from known and trusted sources," he said, pointing out that all seed bought through official channels had been through rigorous testing.
Australia is world renowned for its strict biosecurity measures, in place to protect the nation from a number of pests that have not made it to our relatively isolated shores.
Part of this includes strict testing of all seed to be imported by seed companies.
Mr Mewett said this process was in place to prevent or control plant pests that may affect seed quality, seed movement and result in the introduction of new pests into Australia.
He said the risks of untested seed were obvious.
"Seeds of unknown origin pose a major threat to Australia's biosecurity as they carry no guarantee of having undergone these important testing procedures and could lead to the introduction of different types of plant pests and invasive species to the environment including pests that have not previously been reported in Australia."
The phenomenon of sending seeds without an order is believed to be part of a series of brushing scams, mainly run out of Asia.
A brushing scam is where a vendor tries to bolster product ratings and gain a more prominent presence online by shipping an inexpensive product to an unwitting receiver and then submitting positive reviews on the receiver's behalf pretending to be a verified buyer.