More than 800 Minnesotans have Received Mystery Seeds since July

ST. PAUL (KDLM) – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has released their conclusion after mystery seeds began arriving in the mail throughout the country beginning in late July, 2020.

The MDA continues to get reports of unsolicited seeds arriving at homes across the state and has received phone calls and emails from more than 800 Minnesotans that have received packages.

Since residents in every state have reported receiving unsolicited seeds, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investigating and continues to work with Customs and Border Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Service. Seeds collected by the MDA have been sent on to USDA as part of this investigation. You can find updates about the case on the USDA website.

The USDA has determined these packages are most likely the result of a “brushing” scheme where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales. Fortunately, the USDA has not identified any serious threats in these packages. One e-commerce vendor, Amazon, will no longer sell seeds from foreign countries on their platform to help prevent these schemes going forward.

7 households in Becker County and 11 in Otter Tail County reported receiving mystery seeds in the mail.