People in at least six US states have received unsolicited seed packages labeled as jewelry from China, prompting agriculture officials to...
People in at least six US states have received unsolicited seed packages labeled as jewelry from China, prompting agriculture officials to warn that the seeds could be environmentally harmful.
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.
In some of the instances, the packages had Chinese writing printed on the labels and are misbranded as various pieces of jewelry.
It's unclear why the seed packages were sent and why each individual who got a delivery was chosen.
Residents in at least six US states have received unsolicited seed packages, often mislabeled as jewelry, in the mail from China. Pictured: delivered seed packages in Washington
In Washington, the state department of agriculture said they received reports on Friday about residents receiving seeds in the mail from China that they did not order.
'The seeds are sent in packages usually stating that the contents are jewelry. Unsolicited seeds could be invasive, introduce diseases to local plants, or be harmful to livestock,' they wrote.
Photos shared to Facebook showed that one resident received two packages of seeds that were labeled as a 'bracelet' and a 'ring.'
The address showed the packages were sent from the city of Suzhou in the Jiangsu providence of East China.
Washington officials added that this act is known as agricultural smuggling and people should notify the U.S. Department of Agriculture for further instructions.
A photo shared by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer shared a photo of unsolicited seeds sent to a resident in recent days
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Friday issued a warning about the unsolicited seeds after they received similar reports.
'The types of seeds in the packages are unknown at this time and may be invasive plant species.,' the department wrote.
'Invasive species wreak havoc on the environment, displace or destroy native plants and insects and severely damage crops.'
Photos shared by Virginia officials showed a small resealable bag with several brown seeds.
Lori Culley of Tooele, Utah, told Fox 13 that she received two small packages labelled as gold earrings on Tuesday.
'I opened them up and they were seeds,' said Culley. 'Obviously they’re not jewelry!'
A staffer with the Utah Department of Agriculture picked up the seeds from Culley a few hours after leaning of the packages.
Utah resident Lori Culley revealed that she was sent seed packages that were mislabeled as gold earrings on Tuesday
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food will reportedly work with Customs and Border Protection agents to investigate the incident.
At least 40 people across Utah got seed package in the mail from China in with no explanation
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food will reportedly work with Customs and Border Protection agents to investigate the packages.
In Utah, at least 40 residents have received similar mailed packages with no explanation.
Jane Rupp, president of Better Business Bureau's Utah chapter, noted that the incidents could just be a scam know as 'brushing.'
Brushing is a e-commerce scam where companies will create fake orders to boost their ratings.
'That is rather random. I don’t think I’ve heard of seeds before,' said Rapp.
'The first thing to do is Google your address and see what’s out there… Numerous things will come up when you Google your address. It’s kind of scary sometimes.'
The Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Arizona Department of Agriculture also released statements about the seeds that echoed their peers.
'Unsolicited packages of seeds have been received by people in several other states across the United States over the last several days.' Kansas officials wrote in a press release.
Agriculture officials have warned residents to not plant the seeds or even open the packages over fears they could cause environmental damage. PIctured: seed packages that a resident in Arizona got
Kansas Department of Agriculture: 'Unsolicited packages of seeds have been received by people in several other states across the United States over the last several days'
Louisiana was another state that had reports of mysterious seeds, but officials also confirmed that the same thing happened to gardeners in the United Kingdom
And the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry warned that they're unsure what type of seeds are being sent and to take caution.
'Right now, we are uncertain what types of seeds are in the package. Out of caution, we are urging anyone who receives a package that was not ordered by the recipient, to please call the LDAF immediately,' said Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M.
'We need to identify the seeds to ensure they do not pose a risk to Louisiana’s agricultural industry or the environment.'
They confirmed that in addition to several US states, mysterious seeds have also been sent to the United Kingdom.
Hundreds of British gardeners reported getting deliveries marked as 'ear studs' from China and Malaysia.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for comment the packages.
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