- Courtesy of the United States Postal Service
Courtesy of the United States Postal Service

Precautions to take with your mail


June 17, 2008 · Updated 2:38 PM 

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What constitutes a suspicious letter or parcel?

Any package or letter that:

• has a powdery substance on the outside

• that is unexpected or from someone unknown to you

• addressed to someone no longer why your organization or otherwise outdated

• has no return address

• is of unusual weight, lopsided or oddly shaped

• has an unusual amount of tape on it

• are marked with restrictive endorsement, such as “personal” or “confidential”

• has strange odors or stains

• shows a city or state in the postmark that doesn’t match the return address

What should you do with a suspicious letter or parcel

• Do not open it

• Isolate the piece of mail

• Evacuate the immediate area

• Call a the post office to report you’ve recived a parcel in the mail that may contain biological or chemical substances

-- Source: United States Postal Service

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