There were an average of two hoax letter anthrax threats per week in the year BEFORE the real attacks of 2001. And there's been about 30,000 since then.
There isn't much to go on with this case. The letter and envelope on the FBI's web site seem to have been printed with a computer. They were sent from Amarillo, Texas. The envelope shows it was postmarked at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 18.
The culprit didn't bother to correct the spelling of "REPRERCUSSIONS" in the letter. It seems odd to blame the FDIC for anything. The FBI redacted the other person or organization we're supposed to blame. I'd like to know if all the letters were postmarked at the same time and place, if they all contained the same letter, if there's anything odd about the addresses, etc. But, the FBI has all that, so it can't be of much help.
I know some true nut cases in Texas, but I have no reason to believe they'd do anything like this.
I'd probably start with a list of people who had "tens of thousands" more than $100,000 in some bank that failed.
THREATENING LETTERS HOAX Help Us Find the Culprit 10/23/08
A photograph of one of the letters. More than 50 identical or similar letters were sent to three different financial institutions in at least 11 states. See high resolution picture.
On Monday, a series of threatening letters filled with an unknown powder started showing up at financial institutions across America, causing a massive response and ensuing multi-agency investigation led by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in concert with state and local authorities.
Now, were releasing photographs of one of the letters and its envelope in the hopes that you might be able to help us solve
Its a pending investigation, but heres what we can tell you:
So far, weve identified more than 50 letters, nearly all of which use threatening language identical to the text shown above. The letters have all been mailed from Texas and postmarked at Amarillo.
Most of the letters contained some sort of powdery substance. All field tests to date have turned up negativethe powder appears harmless. Additional testing is taking place at regional laboratories.
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 following three institutions have received letters:
* Chase Bank; * The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, an independent federal agency; and * The U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision, which regulates all federal and many state thrift institutions.
You can help. 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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.
If you have any information about the letters or if you know who might have sent them, please contact authorities immediately in one of the following ways:
* Call the FBI toll free at 1-800-CALLFBI; * Contact your local FBI office; * Submit a tip anonymously on our website; * Contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
Meanwhile, wed like to remind everyone that sending a threatening letter with or without powdereven if its a hoaxis a serious crime. It demands a multi-agency response in each location, causing a drain on resources and diverting personnel from actual emergencies and other urgent situations.
People who have mailed these kinds of hoax letters in the past have received some serious jail time, says Special Agent Richard Kolko, Chief of the FBIs National Press Office in Washington, D.C. This investigation will continue until those responsible are arrested, and we appreciate the publics support by providing information.
One should not assume that the letters originated in Texas.
For example: