Violence... The story so far

Apr 2002
Anthrax is the current enemy, but other bioagents are possible terror weapons; small bombs can be sent in the mail.

For information on the anthrax-by-mail case visit
Anthrax-by-Letter Information

See Center For Disease Control for symptoms.

Ed Lake and colleagues are private citizens following developments in the anthrax-by-letter case that closely followed the World Trade Center bombing. Their web site is the most complete and authoritative single source of public information on this federal case. They have launched their own investigations into the matter. These folks are unpaid but committed to doing everything they can to report and solve the case.

Mail— Some things to look for:

1 Addressed to someone no longer at that address.
2 Bears no return address or one you cannot confirm.
3 Sealed with excessive tape or simply sealed too well.
4 Marked Personal, Confidential, or For Resident.
5 Lopsided or lumpy appearance.
6 Too much postage.
7 Strange packaging materials.
8 Mail you did not expect could be dangerous, no matter how benign-looking.

How to Handle Suspicious Mail

1 Do not handle or open a letter that you are suspicious of.
2 Do not touch, shake, bump, or sniff it.
3 If mail can stay where it is, cover it with plastic, with weights around its
periphery to seal it off from the air you breathe.
4 If it must be moved, without touching it, gently put the mailed article in a container and seal securely.
5 Wash your hands and face immediately; change your clothes, and put them in a sealed container as possible forensic evidence.
6 If you suspect you came in contact with an infectious agent, bathe or shower immediately and see a physician.
7 Make a note of the time and date the mail arrived in your possession.
8 Notify your local law-enforcement authorities. 9 See your physician at the first sign of any illness.

See Center For Disease Control for symptoms.

Parcels: What to look for:

Explosives hidden in small parcels were the unibomber's signature.

1 Addressed to someone no longer at that address.
2 Bears no return address or one that you cannot confirm.
4 Marked Fragile.
5 Bears "Open by" or "You have won" label.
6 Return address very unlikely or nonexistent.
7 Bears strange writing or characters.
7 Return address is outside of the country.
8 Strange packaging materials.
9 Packaging materials appear stronger than necessary for parcel weight.

Parcels you are not expecting could be dangerous, no matter how benign looking.

How to Handle Suspicious Parcels:
1 Do not handle or open a parcel that you are suspicious of for any reason; trust your intuition.
2 Do not touch, shake, bump, or sniff it.
3 If the parcel can stay where it is, cover it with plastic to prevent inadvertent exposure.
4 If it must be moved, gently put the parcel in a container and seal securely without touching it.
5 Wash your hands and face immediately; change your clothes, and put them in a sealed container.
6 If you suspect you came in contact with an infectious agent, bathe or shower immediately and see a physician.
7 Make a note of the time and date the parcel arrived in your possession.
8 Notify your local law-enforcement authorities.
9 See your physician at the first sign of any illness.

See Center For Disease Control for symptoms.

IMPORTANT NOTICE — This page or any other page on this site is provided for information only; it is not complete; use your own judgment in all cases. Lack of any of the above suspicious features does not guarantee your safety and neither does taking these precautions.