Receiving anonymous emails is nothing new. It happened and many people have experienced it in different states. But people should be warned about recent mail.

The online world is full of photos of people receiving secret parcels of seeds in the mail that were never ordered. According to CBS News, residents of 50 states are receiving these secret packets of seeds, most of which come from abroad. Most from China.

Now warn people not to plant!

Authorities are still trying to figure out why these secret seeds are being shipped to the United States. Could this be a scam? Deception? Or can it apply to everyone?

According to an article in The New York Times, the United States can now identify some seed varieties. The federal agency said it found 14 plant species mailed in from China. It is a mixture of ornamental plants, fruits, vegetables, herbs and weeds.

According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspectorate, the most common of these are cabbage, hibiscus, lavender, mint, morning glory, mustard, roses, rosemary, and sage. They may seem harmless, but experts continue to warn recipients not to inject them. “This is just a small part of the sample we collected,” said Osama El-Lisi, deputy head of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Service.

One recipient, Doyle Cranshaw of Booneville Ark, said she had already planted some of the unwanted seeds she received in the mail. “I told my wife, ‘They don’t look like the flower seeds I’ve seen.’ He admitted to ordering blue zinnia seeds from Amazon, but when he received the package two months ago, he was mistaken for blue zinnia seeds and other seed packets he didn’t order. According to him, on the package there is a label “Earrings in a frame”, “China.

He added: “This is a really beautiful plant. It looks like a giant pumpkin.”

Cranshaw also called the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Some officials came to dig up the plants he had planted with unwanted seeds. He will also ask them to take the beads in another package that came to him but has not yet been opened. According to Cranshaw, once he receives the seeds in these secret pouches, he will start ordering seeds locally from that point on.

Investigators see this as an example of a “scam” where sellers ship unwanted items in hopes of boosting sales. However, there is a huge potential for seeds to harm the environment and ecosystems. Art Gover, a botanist at the University of Pennsylvania, says there is little risk of serious consequences, such as the introduction of exotic plant species into the United States or perhaps a form of biological warfare, but recipients should not plant the seeds.

Grover added that the seeds cause problems, introduce weeds and disease, and displease the recipient.