A woman’s Facebook post about receiving a purple hair tie in the mail has gone viral, causing anxiety online with many wanting to know its meaning
The woman, who goes by Molly Wafering on social media, went on to explain that she felt uncomfortable when she opened the gift and touched the purple hair tie.
What is the meaning of purple hair tie in the mail after Facebook post goes viral
She shared the post on June 7, 2023, where she said that when she returned home from work last week, she discovered a parcel addressed to her. She was perplexed because she hadn’t ordered anything, but she still opened it. When she opened it, she discovered only a little purple hair tie.
She went on to say that while she held the hair tie in her hand, she began to feel strange. Soon after, her mother removed the hair tie from her and cleansed her hands, after which they called 911. The shipment was supposedly from South America, but there was no sender tracing because it was sent to a PO Box.
The bigger picture
Molly also revealed more concerning things that occurred after she received a purple hair tie in the mail. She wrote about the night she went to Lexington to watch her boyfriend play baseball in a Facebook post.
She described how, as she was walking away from her parked car, she received a notification on her phone notifying her that an AirTag had been located near/on her. Other odd behaviours have allegedly occurred since then, including interactions with young girls who came to her house and banged on the door, as well as frightening white vans parking in front of her house.
Molly also mentioned that her neighbour received a purple hair tie in the mail. She went on to say that the police are looking into the incident, but she wanted everyone to be aware of it. A purple hair tie in your mail could mean “brushing”.
Those discussing the incident in the Facebook comments section believed that receiving a purple hair tie in the mail could be an indication of human trafficking. There is, however, no corroboration of this. Some speculated that it could be a hint of a fraud known as “brushing.” However, there is no evidence to back up this assertion.
What should you do if you receive a delivery from from an unknown sender?
Receiving an unexpected small item from an unknown location could indicate that personal information has been compromised. Although it has nothing to do with human trafficking, it is nevertheless a perilous circumstance.
According to the United States Postal Inspection Service, or USPIS, scammers may have access to the receiver’s address, phone number, and other personal information. According to USPIS, if you get an unexpected delivery in the mail, such as a purple hair tie, you should take the following steps:
- Don’t pay for it.
- Mark it “RETURN TO SENDER” If it contains a return address and is unopened, then USPS will return it for free.
- Throw it out.
- Account passwords should be changed to protect personal information.
- Keep an eye out for any strange activity on credit card bills and credit reports.
- Notify authorities if the goods appear weird, such as food, plants, or random liquids.
- Before opening any unexpected packages, use caution.
- If the unsolicited product comes from Amazon, eBay, or any third-party seller, report it to their website as a fraud. Request that any fraudulent reviews posted in your name be removed.
The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) previously published a comprehensive guide on brushing scams, emphasising the misleading nature of these schemes. Notably, the warning clarified the common notion that these frauds are harmless, despite the fact that they are a serious invasion of privacy.