Financial organizations receive threats

More than 50 letters that contained threats and an unidentified white powder have been mailed to U.S. financial institutions and government offices in at least 11 states since Monday, according to an FBI press release Thursday. Chase Bank, the banking division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. of New York, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision were among those that received the letters. Chase offices in Phoenix were evacuated Wednesday as a precaution, closing for around two hours. So far, all the letters have been sent from Amarillo, Texas. “It’s payback time,” according to one letter that appears on the FBI’s website. "Steal tens of thousands of people's money and not expect repercussions. What you just breathed in will kill you within 10 days. Thank [redacted] and the FDIC for your demise.” Field test results suggest that the powdery substance is harmless, the FBI said. Further tests, however, will be conducted, the agency added.