Suspicious Mail & Packages

If you receive a suspicious letter or package:

  • Stop — do not handle, open, smell, or taste
  • Isolate the mail immediately
  • Call UTPD at 471-4441 or 911
  • Notify your office
  • Anyone who comes into contact with suspicious mail should wash their hands and face immediately and isolate themselves from others
  • To remember anyone else that came in contact with mail, write it down on paper

Suspicious characteristics

Some typical characteristics which ought to trigger suspicion include letters or parcels that:

  • Have any powdery substance on the outside.
  • Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.
  • Have excessive postage, handwritten or poorly typed address, incorrect titles or titles with no name, or misspellings of common words.
  • Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.
  • Have no return address, or have one that can't be verified as legitimate.
  • Are of unusual weight, given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
  • Have an unusual amount of tape.
  • Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as "Personal" or "Confidential."
  • Have strange odors or stains

See the US Postal Service for more information about suspicious mail and procedures to follow.