Millions of people shop online every day and with orders being shipped daily, police agencies across Texas are warning people to take a moment and visually inspect their package before picking them up.
The move comes on the heels of a string of explosions in Austin and the most recent at a FedEx in Schertz.
The switch in tactics is leaving people on the receiving and shipping side on edge.
Pantel is the owner of Mail Center, a shipping business. She's seen her share of scares, including the anthrax panic and the Unabomber. Now, the recent series of explosions have her worried.
"Coming from FedEx, I don't know that anybody is not going to just go, ‘Oh cool, what did I get,’ you know and open it up,” Pantle said. “And it's scary. What if it’s a child? It makes me crazy because I don't know how they are going to stop it.”
There may not be a fool proof strategy to stop suspicious packages from arriving but there are precautions that can be taken to reduce the risk of opening an explosive box.
Before picking up a package, take a look at the labels. Packages must have a sender’s address, but there is a catch.
"[The sender] could put any name they wanted to on it, probably not the real person," Pantle said.
If you do not recognize the sender’s address on the label, law enforcement officers are advising people to not pick up the box.
Packages that weigh more than 13 ounces require a tracking number, which will help authenticate the sender if you enter it online.
"Did you order something? Ok, well if you ordered something from Macy's and it's from Macy's, then absolutely [it will] probably be fine," Pantle said.
Possible indicators a box may contain an explosive device include: odd shaped boxes, protruding wires, or a noise or odd smell coming from inside.
Pantel is already changing her shipping policy.
"We are going to start looking at ID's whenever they ship something,” Pantle said.
She hopes the shipping industry makes similar requirements to keep people safe.
If you find a package without any labeling and were not expecting it, contact police or other local law enforcement.