Suspicious Packages and Letters

Be wary of suspicious packages and letters. They can contain explosives or chemical or biological agents. Be particularly cautious at your place of employment.

Some typical characteristics postal inspectors have detected over the years, which ought to trigger suspicion, include parcels that:

• Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.
• Have no return address, or have one that can't be verified as legitimate.
• Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as "Personal," "Confidential" or "Do not x-ray."
• Have protruding wires or aluminum foil, strange odors or stains.
• Show a city or state in the postmark that does not match the return address.
• Are of unusual weight, given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
• Are marked with any threatening language.
• Have inappropriate or unusual labeling.
• Have excessive postage or excessive packaging material such as duct tape and string.
• Have misspellings of common words.
• Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.
• Have incorrect titles or title without a name.
• Are not addressed to a specific person.
• Have handwritten or poorly typed addresses.

In addition, take the additional steps to protect yourself and others from possible biological and chemical agents.

• Never sniff or smell suspect mail.
• Refrain from eating or drinking in a designated mail handling area.
• Place suspicious envelopes or packages in a plastic bag or some other type of container to prevent leakage of contents.
• If you do not have a container, then cover the envelope or package with anything available (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and DO NOT remove the cover.
• Leave the room and close the door, or section off the area to prevent others from entering.
• Wash your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder to your face.
• If you are at work, report the incident to your building security official or an available supervisor, who should notify police and other authorities without delay.
• List all people who were in the room or area when this suspicious letter or package was identified as such. Give a copy of this list to both the local public health authorities and law enforcement officials for follow-up investigations and advice.
• If you are at home, report the incident to local police.