FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Mysterious packets containing unidentified seeds shipped from China have made their way to dozens of Floridians, including at least one person in Flagler County.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office posted a warning to its Facebook page, stating more than 160 Floridians, including one in the county have reported receiving the unsolicited packages mailed from China with the seed packets inside.
The post warns "DO NOT OPEN THESE PACKETS OR PLANT THE CONTENTS." That's because officials do not know what plant the seeds are from, which means they could constitute agricultural smuggling, be invasive, introduce pathogens or plant and animal diseases, pose a risk of food-borne illness and be a potential threat to human health, the post says.
Flagler County residents who receive a similar package are asked to report it to FCSO or the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' division of plant industry at 1-888-397-1517.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says anyone who receives one of the packages should hold onto the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until someone from your state department of agriculture or the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service contacts you with further instructions.
The USDA has been investigating and believes this is nothing more than a 'brushing scam,' where sellers send items to people and then make up bogus reviews to boost sales. Here's a release the USDA put out Tuesday, June 28.