Stories of corrupt postmen in poor countries

December 09, 2013

Pilferage from Mail Remains Significant Problem in Emerging Countries

One of the developmental barriers faced by emerging economies is the unreliability of local mail. For example, a team led by Marco Castillo of George Mason University discovered that more than 18% of envelopes sent from the United States to households in Lima, Peru, didn’t arrive at their destinations, and envelopes containing money were 50% more likely to be “lost” than others. “Clearly, those who handle the mail are looking for clues that might suggest that an envelope holds something of value,” the researchers say.

SOURCE: Lost in the Mail: A Field Experiment on Crime