International Body Warns Indian Government Against Planting Unsolicited Seeds

Logo of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA).

The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) has asked the Indian government to be cautious about unsolicited mail packages containing seeds. This comes in the wake of several people in the USA and Canada receiving such packages in the past week. 

K Keshavulu, vice president of ISTA, has issued the high alert in Hyderabad, as it is considered to be the seed capital of the country. It is feared that these seeds may spread crop diseases. However, It is more likely that this is a brushing scam rather than an act of eco-terrorism.

A brushing scam is a deceitful technique sometimes used in e-commerce to boost a seller's ratings by creating fake orders. A seller can do this by paying someone a small amount to place a fake order or just using another person's information to place an order themselves.