The United States Postal Service safely delivers millions of pieces of mail every day. U.S. Postmaster General John Potter has said: "The 800,000 Postal Service employees are using everything they've learned, doing everything humanly possible, to keep the mail safe and keep it moving." Click here to learn more about what the Postal Service is doing to protect the mail.

You can do your part, too. Here are some tips for identifying suspicious mail - it could:  

• arrive unexpectedly, or from someone you don’t know
• be addressed to someone no longer at that address
• have no return address, or have one that can't be verified as legitimate
• be of unusual weight for its size, or be lopsided or oddly shaped
• be marked with words such as "Personal" or "Confidential"
• have protruding wires, strange odors or stains

If you believe you have received suspicious mail, do not try to open it. If possible, place the envelope in two plastic bags, and call your local law enforcement non-emergency number. The responders will give you further instructions when they arrive; in the meantime, do not walk around with the mail, shake it or throw it away.

Here are additional guidelines recommended to both businesses and residents for safely handling mail:

• Wash your hands with warm soap and water before and after handling the mail.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke around mail.
• If you have open cuts or lesions on your hands, disposable protective gloves may be appropriate
• Surgical masks, eye protection or gowns are NOT necessary or recommended