PANAMA CITY, FL – Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. issued the following warning for constituents who receive mysterious seeds in the mail.

“If you are one of the many individuals who received an unsolicited package of seeds, please hold onto the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label. Do NOT open the seed packet or plant the seeds. In addition, do not throw the seeds in your trash.

At this time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not have evidence indicating that this is more than a brushing scam; however, with the assistance of the states, they are taking the proper precautions and testing the package contents to see if they contain anything that could be of concern to U.S. agriculture or the environment.

If you have received a package like this, please contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.”

If you have received an unsolicited package of seeds, please contact the following:

• The FDACS Division of Plant Industry at 1-888-397-1517 or DPIhelpline@FDACS.gov
• The USDA APHIS Anti-Smuggling Hotline at 1-800-877-3835 or SITC.Mail@aphis.usda.gov

When reporting the seed package to FDACS and USDA/APHIS, please be prepared to provide one’s name, physical address, phone number, and email address for contact purposes.

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