Something strange is happening at post-secondary institutions across Canada – including four campuses on Vancouver Island.

Student unions have been getting bombarded with shipments from Amazon containing random gadgets like flashlights, headphones and even sex toys – and they have no idea who's sending them.

"Every couple of days, we seem to get something weird in the mail. Today we got fishing tackle," said Michael Glover, a student services coordinator at Camosun College.

In recent months, the office has received packages containing used flashlights, a meat thermometer, an iPhone charger, screen protectors, yoga mats and a box with the words "Master Godzilla" containing what staff believed to be a vibrator.

Up at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, the student union has been receiving a similar collection of items – right down to the adult toys.

"I think since early November we've got about 60 packages plus," said Avery Bonner, VIU Student Union's director of external relations.

Student unions at Royal Roads University and the University of Victoria said they've also received anonymous Amazon packages.

The seemingly unexplainable phenomenon has been popping up on campuses coast-to-coast, including Simon Fraser University in Burnaby all the way to the University of New Brunswick's Moncton campus.

The situation has even puzzled Amazon, which says it's investigating how packages were sent to nearly every post-secondary school in the country.

“We are investigating inquiries from consumers who have received unsolicited packages as this would violate our policies. We have confirmed the sellers involved did not receive names or shipping addresses from Amazon," the company said in a statement.

Police have been notified in some provinces, but so far there has been no evidence of criminality. Others have taken the apparent gifts at face value.

"We decided to be economical, to give some of those strange or bizarre packages away at our staff party," said Bonner.

There are some theories floating around as to why the packages are being sent: Some wonder if it could be a form of money laundering, or possibly a marketing campaign from a big distributor in China.

Whatever it is, if the anonymous sender is listening, Camosun students would like to make one request.

"An Xbox One," Glover said, laughing. "We all need some more entertainment in the office."