Suspicious Letters, Packages, and Devices
If you receive or discover a suspicious letter, package, or device:
Do not touch it, tamper with it, or move it!
Immediately call 6-7777 from a campus phone or 410-516-7777 from a cellphone* or off-campus phone.
*Do not use a cellphone or any radio device within 300 feet of the suspicious object.
What constitutes a suspicious letter, package, or device?
Some typical characteristics that ought to trigger suspicion include objects 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- Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.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.
What to do if you receive a suspicious letter, package, or device:
- Handle it with care. Do not shake or bump it.
- Isolate it immediately.
- Do not open, smell, touch, or taste it.
- When in doubt, treat it as suspect. Notify Campus Security or Baltimore Police (911)
