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Florida officials, other states warn about mysterious seeds sent from China

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
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TALLAHASSEE - Florida’s agriculture secretary is raising concerns about packages of seeds bearing Chinese characters and the name China Post that people are receiving unsolicited in the mail.

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is asking Floridians to report the “suspicious seed packages,” which might also be labeled as jewelry.

“Plant seeds from unknown sources may introduce dangerous pathogens, diseases, or invasive species into Florida, putting agriculture and our state’s plant, animal and human health at risk,” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a prepared statement. “Anyone receiving these suspicious seed packets should not open them, should not plant them, should limit contact with them, and should report them immediately to both our department and USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) officials.”

The state is working on the issue with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.




“The content of the seed packages is unknown at this time,” a news release from the state department said. “Seeds of unknown origin may constitute agricultural smuggling, may be invasive, may introduce pathogens, toxins, or plant and animal diseases, may pose a risk of foodborne illness, and may pose a threat to plant, animal, and human health,” the release added.

As of Monday, at least 160 people had reported such packages, the department said. Similar packages have been reported in Virginia, Kansas, Washington, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Utah.

 
first they send their citizens. then they send their seeds.

this place'll be looking like china in NO time. and not just chinatown - im talking rural china.

legit multi-generational expansionism going on - all under our noses for decades already

at least itll be covid free (or close to it) and full of pandas
 
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what in the actual fuck is this, really, i am actually very curious

at first i thought it could maybe be some plant hobbyist having some cool exotic shit smuggled to them but these are unsolicited to 160+ people?

LOL
 

Dr.Guru of Peru

played the long game
Sounds pretty devious but also super low effort on China’s part. Surely they have enough Chinese spies and diplomats in the country to plant a few seeds?
 

HoodWinked

Member
This is just what they call a "brushing" scam, they're just random seeds that the seller probably just had.

“brushing scam.” This tactic is used by sketchy online sellers to bolster their credibility on sales platforms, and make their illegitimate or fledgling businesses appear much larger and more successful than they really are.
Here’s how it works: Vendors scout for addresses they can ship inexpensive packages to that they pay for themselves. Then, they create a fake account using the address they shipped to and write a glowing review of the product they “received.” In reality, victims are nothing more than destinations, and the scam doesn’t hurt anyone financially or otherwise.
 
This is just what they call a "brushing" scam, they're just random seeds that the seller probably just had.

“brushing scam.” This tactic is used by sketchy online sellers to bolster their credibility on sales platforms, and make their illegitimate or fledgling businesses appear much larger and more successful than they really are.
Here’s how it works: Vendors scout for addresses they can ship inexpensive packages to that they pay for themselves. Then, they create a fake account using the address they shipped to and write a glowing review of the product they “received.” In reality, victims are nothing more than destinations, and the scam doesn’t hurt anyone financially or otherwise.
But why actually send them though? If it's a fake sale then surely you can just say its shipped and then leave feedback saying it arrived?
 

lyan

Member
Sounds pretty devious but also super low effort on China’s part. Surely they have enough Chinese spies and diplomats in the country to plant a few seeds?
Think they are quite strict at the border about these things? Besides it is far more efficient to just send them out en masse than using spies/whatever since they don't need you to plant it, inappropriate disposal is enough for these to bud in somewhere and spread on.
edit: spelling
 
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iconmaster

Banned
So we still have not figured out what these are and why they were sent?

Osama El-Lissy, a deputy administrator for USDA’s APHIS, said the agency has so far identified 14 different species of seeds, from mustard and morning glory to cabbage, rosemary and roses.

As of late Wednesday, there is no indication any of the seeds carry pests or diseases, according to the USDA. Seeds analyzed by the USDA so far have been identified as both horticultural and weed seeds, according to state agricultural officials briefed on the agency’s preliminary findings.

USDA also reiterated it has no evidence the packages are something other than a “brushing scam.”

 

Dr.Guru of Peru

played the long game
Think they are quite strict at the border about these things? Besides it is far more efficient to just send them out en masse than using spies/whatever since they don't need you to plant it, inappropriate disposal is enough for these to bud in somewhere and spread on.
edit: spelling
Well, these seeds got in.
Just mail a few packets to all your agents and have them sprinkle them as they go for a walk in the park?
 
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This is just what they call a "brushing" scam, they're just random seeds that the seller probably just had.

“brushing scam.” This tactic is used by sketchy online sellers to bolster their credibility on sales platforms, and make their illegitimate or fledgling businesses appear much larger and more successful than they really are.
Here’s how it works: Vendors scout for addresses they can ship inexpensive packages to that they pay for themselves. Then, they create a fake account using the address they shipped to and write a glowing review of the product they “received.” In reality, victims are nothing more than destinations, and the scam doesn’t hurt anyone financially or otherwise.
makes perfect sense
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
It's all over the country with various seed types.

China trying to terraform before the invasion?





In every state it seems.
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
They were probably sent as a diversion to keep them occupied and from finding the crack they sent.
 
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