The United States Postal Inspection Service’s Suspicious Mail guidance describes dangerous mail as including mail bombs, hoax devices, suspicious substances, or other matter that may cause harm. It advises people who suspect a package to isolate the item, maintain a safe distance, wash their hands, and immediately call Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455 and state “emergency.” When medical attention is warranted, it says to contact local authorities immediately.
\nUSPIS Poster 84 lists possible indicators such as no return address, excessive postage or tape, misspelled or poorly written words, restrictive markings, an incorrect title, rigid or bulky shape, uneven or lopsided packaging, oily stains or discoloration, strange odor, protruding wires, or an unknown powder or substance.
\nA 2024 joint CISA, FBI, EAC, and USPIS mail-handling guide distinguishes an unopened suspicious item from a potential powder exposure. It advises people not to handle, shake, empty, or carry either condition. For powder already released, the guide says an available container may be placed over the mail piece or spill when this can be done safely, then left undisturbed for responders. That powder-control step is not a universal instruction for an intact or device-like package.
\nNo single characteristic proves danger, and ordinary mail can have one or more listed features. The purpose of the indicators is recognition and escalation, not diagnosis. Postal Inspectors and local emergency responders have specialized authority and capability. Site personnel should follow their instructions and the local emergency plan rather than opening, moving, testing, cleaning, or disposing of the item.
\n\nInventory where letters and packages actually enter: staffed mailroom, reception, loading dock, satellite office, school office, executive suite, home office, drop box, and after-hours delivery. Assign an owner and emergency contact path for each. Central screening does not protect a side entrance that accepts direct courier deliveries.
\nTrain people to recognize conditions and execute the first actions; do not ask them to identify explosive, chemical, or biological materials. Run announced tabletop exercises with a photo or card, never a realistic surprise package or powder. Test night-shift reporting, an unavailable supervisor, an item already opened, a person feeling ill, a direct executive delivery, and the need to guide responders to a remote entrance.
\nAfter responders release the area, document the incident timeline, instructions, people involved, operational impact, property disposition, medical or employee-support follow-up, communications, and corrective actions. Review uncontrolled delivery points and why the item reached them. Good suspicious-mail readiness turns uncertainty into fewer actions, not more: stop, isolate, create distance, report, and let qualified responders direct what follows.
\n\n