Mystery seed packets: Frisco resident's address fraudulently used as return address on packages

FRISCO, Texas - A North Texas resident's address was fraudulently used as the return address on boxes containing mystery seed packets, says Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

What we know:

Miller says that the Texas Department of Agriculture learned that a Frisco resident's address was fraudulently used as the return address on boxes containing several unidentified seed packages. 

The sender reportedly used Stamps.com to disguise the packages’ source, resulting in recipients sending the unwanted packages back to the return address and the resident being inundated with returned boxes they did not pack or ship, says Miller.

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The resident initially received and returned 10 such boxes to their local post office. The resident has received 5-10 seed packages daily and has several more boxes that have been collected for inspection and disposal. 

The actual sender of these boxes is currently unknown. 

What they're saying:

"If you receive a package of seeds that you did not order, do not send it back to the listed return address," said Commissioner Miller. "Instead, please report those packages to TDA immediately and hold onto them until we can pick them up. Even if the sender appears to be from Texas, the true source could be from China or anywhere. This serious issue could have severe consequences for your health and the biosecurity of Texas agriculture. We need everyone’s cooperation to catch and report these incidents."

The backstory:

Commissioner Miller said earlier this month that the mystery seed packets were back.

On Feb. 5, Miller said the Texas Department of Agriculture recently was alerted to a mystery package containing unidentified seeds and a liquid container sent unsolicited from China to Clute, Texas, in Brazoria County.

Miller later told FOX 7 Austin on Feb. 12 that the TDA had picked up almost 20 packages from Texas residents.

Miller said initial testing has determined some of the seeds are water lilies, an aggressive invasive plant which can quickly cover a small lake or pond. 

Mystery seed packets from China first showed up in 2020, with Miller warning about them being mailed to multiple states and falsely labeled as jewelry or toys. The packages popped up in more than 30 states, including Texas.

Mystery seeds also showed up in Virginia about the same time, with officials saying the packages were sent by mail, possibly with Chinese writing on them. A Georgia resident spoke to FOX 5 Atlanta saying she got a package as well.

Agriculture experts voiced concerns about the seeds, in particular about them being for invasive plant species.

An initial test in Florida determined some of those seeds in 2020 were just water lilies, but Dr. Kevin Ong, plant pathologist with Texas A&M AgriLife, told FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski in 2020 that planting them is something you should not do.

"If it’s something exotic or have something we don’t even find in the United States to take over an area, and potentially choke out our native plants or, worst case scenario, choke out our agricultural fields and create additional problems in term of managing for those types of weeds," said Dr. Ong.

Dig deeper:

This seed-delivery mystery is similar to what happened back in 2020, but a little different.

In 2020, the mystery seed packages were sent to distribution companies in the U.S. and then to home addresses. 

The new cases, 17 in Texas as of Wednesday, are now more direct because of online buying habits by consumers.

"We think they have ordered from Temu. It's how they got their address. They all seem to have a link that they've ordered something from China, but they didn't order these seeds. They're coming in a completely different shipment," said Miller.

What you can do:

State officials are stressing the point that the seeds should not be thrown in the garbage.

"The problem just going into the landfill without destroying the seeds is they may actually sprout and get away from us. We don't need that," said Miller.

The seeds will be destroyed through steam sterilization at no cost to the recipients, according to a statement from Miller. Those who receive a package can contact the Texas Department of Agriculture by calling the TDA toll-free at (800) TELL-TDA.

The Texas Department of Agriculture is working with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and U.S. Customs.