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Mail warns financial institutions of "payback"
2 hours, 44 minutes ago
By JoAnne Allen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Threatening letters containing a suspicious white powder mailed to three U.S. financial institutions warn "it's payback time," according to a text released by the FBI on Thursday.
More than 50 letters, with identical or similar threatening language, were sent to Chase Bank offices, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision, the FBI said.
"Steal tens of thousands of people's money and not expect repercussions (sic). It's payback time. What you just breathed in will kill you within 10 days. Thank (redacted) and the FDIC for your demise," said the text posted on the FBI Web site.
The agency also released a photograph of the envelope in which the letter was mailed. It was addressed to a Chase Bank branch in Lakewood, Colorado, and bears an Amarillo, Texas, postmark. All the letters were mailed from the city in the Texas panhandle, the FBI said.
Field tests determined that the powdery substance contained in most of the letters appears harmless, the FBI said, adding that other laboratory tests were being conducted.
U.S. authorities have been on alert for such letters since 2001, when envelopes laced with anthrax were sent to media outlets and U.S. lawmakers and killed five people.
The FBI released the photographs on its Web site and appealed for the public's help in identifying the person who mailed the threatening letters. (http://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct08/threatletters_102308.html)
"Please study the images above and see if you recognize the phrasing of the letter, the envelope label, or any other clue that you think might help investigators," the agency said.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever is responsible.
The letters have been sent to at least 11 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
The New York Times headquarters in Manhattan received envelopes containing a suspicious white powder on Wednesday, but an FBI official said it was not clear whether it was a related incident.
JPMorgan Chase & Co last week surpassed Citigroup Inc to become the largest U.S. bank. It has aggressively acquired other assets as the financial system has weakened, including the banking assets of Washington Mutual Inc.
