The United States Postal Service urges people to report suspicious letters or packages such as mail that:
- Have excessive postage, no postage or non-cancelled postage
- Have no return address or a fictitious return address
- Have an improper spelling of addressee names, titles or locations
- Looks lumpy or has a lopsided appearance
- Is sealed with excessive amounts of tape
- Is unexpected and is from a foreign country
- Have a postmark showing a different location than the return address
- Displays distorted handwriting or cut-and-paste lettering
If you receive a suspicious letter or package:
- Do not open it
- Do not shake, bump or sniff it
- Cover it or place it in a plastic bag
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water
- Call the police non-emergency number
In most cases the police will be dispatched for a report of an unopened suspicious letter or package and after investigating the item, will advise you of what to do. If the letter or package does not meet specific criteria, they may simply advise you to dispose of the suspicious letter or package if you are uncomfortable opening it.