A warning has been issued about strange ‘gifts’ being placed in mailboxes claiming to be from NSW Health.
The health department issued the warning on Monday, urging Australians to be careful with packages.
“NSW Health is aware that cards and packages have been placed in letterboxes in some Sydney households falsely claiming to be a ‘gift’ and ‘corrective therapy’ from NSW Health,” the department wrote on social media.
‘We have reported this matter to the New South Wales Police.
‘We strongly advise anyone who has received such a package to dispose of it safely without opening it.’
NSW Health added that the department would never leave gifts in people’s letterboxes.
The small packages wrapped in what appears to be gauze also included a small card with legitimate NSW Health phone numbers and email addresses.
One card had a small handwritten message that read: ‘Greetings from our Father.’
NSW Health has urged anyone who receives a strange “gift” in their letterbox not to open it and instead dispose of the package safely (pictured)
CCTV footage from a home that received one of the packages shows a man in a dark navy jacket and a trolley (pictured) appearing to leave it in the resident’s letterbox.
One recipient of the packages said he wore gloves when removing them from his mailbox because of concerns about their contents.
“I checked my video cameras,” he said.
‘There is a man walking around with one of those carts that you use to move large objects, like a cupboard or drawers.’
CCTV footage shows a man in a dark navy jacket pulling a trolley and placing the package in his letterbox.
A neighbor said they opened the “gift” and found a small kumquat.
Another person claimed to have found one of the strange packages in their mailbox on Monday.
“We were given a piece of fruit, I didn’t eat it, I’m not sure what it was,” they commented on the NSW Health Facebook post.
“And the card they gave me was just a piece of paper with some words written on it in pen. It’s strange.”