People receiving mysterious seeds from China are being told not to throw them away, but that advice might be a little too late

• Residents across the country are seeking answers for unsolicited packages of unknown seeds sent from China.
• Residents in all 50 states have reported the mystery seed packages, according to CBS News.
• The United States Department of Agriculture is advising recipients to keep the seeds and their packaging, which the agency is collecting to test and investigate.
• But New Jersey resident, Elizabeth Mendez, told Insider that she received a similar package from China in her mailbox in June and threw them away.

Residents across the country reported that they are receiving seed packages from China that they did not order.

Insider previously reported that unsolicited seed packages have been reported in multiple states including Virginia, Kansas, Washington, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Utah. Local departments of agriculture across the country issued statements advising residents to be aware of these packages and to not plant the seeds as they could contain an "invasive plant species."

The seed sightings have been confirmed by residents in all 50 states, according to CBS News. On Tuesday, the United States Department of Agriculture and Plant Health Inspection Service issued a statement about an investigation into the seeds and advised those who received them to contact local agricultural officials.

"USDA is aware that people across the country have received suspicious, unsolicited packages of seed that appear to be coming from China. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection, other federal agencies, and State departments of agriculture to investigate the situation," the agency said.

The press release suggested that the unsolicited seeds might be part of a "brushing scam," where "people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales."

A similar scam took place in the US and Canada in 2018, when multiple people reported receiving Amazon packages they did not order.

The USDA is collecting the seed packages to test their contents and "determine if they contain anything that could be of concern to U.S. agriculture or the environment," according to the statement said. They requesting people who received the seeds to not throw them away.

"Please hold onto the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until someone from your State department of agriculture or APHIS contacts you with further instructions. Do not plant seeds from unknown origins," the agency added.

—USDA APHIS (@USDA_APHIS) July 28, 2020

But the warning came too late for New Jersey resident Elizabeth Mendez, who told Insider that she received mysterious "seeds" from China in her mailbox in June. They were packaged in a clear plastic bag that came in a brown mailer envelope with Chinese writing marked as earrings, Mendez said.

"I didn't order anything," she told Insider. Mendez noted that the "seeds" were a brown-greenish color and looked shredded and herb-like, similar to marijuana.

Mendez immediately threw the package away but was shocked when she saw other people had also received seeds.

"I was scrolling through news stories and as soon as I saw 'mysterious seeds from China' I read the article and thought that's exactly what happened to me," she said.