Some Long Islanders say they are receiving packages of seeds from China that they didn't order.

One of those packages was delivered to Carol Cohen in West Babylon.

They came in a package labeled "stud earring." Residents in more than two dozen states have received similar packages.

Farmingdale State College plant scientist Jonathan Lehrer says the foreign seeds are troubling and could become an invasive species if allowed to flourish.

The Better Business Bureau had similar advice: Don’t eat or plant the seeds, and report the package delivery.

 

Cohen says she didn't plant the seeds and has no idea what they could be.

John Haanraadts, from East Islip, got the seeds as well and reported it to federal and state agricultural officials who are now investigating. He was told not to plant the seeds, and to seal them up and send them in for examination.

The USDA and other agencies believe this could be a brushing scam, where the seller sends out unsolicited packages to post false reviews online to boost sales.

Cohen says she isn't sure how the seller in China got her address.

Anyone who receives unsolicited seeds is asked to call the state Department of Agriculture.