The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) have issued their first‑ever whistleblower reward, granting $1 million to an individual whose tip helped expose a criminal antitrust and fraud scheme involving a major online used‑car auction platform.
It marks the first payout under the Antitrust Division’s whistleblower rewards program, signaling that individuals who report original information leading to criminal charges or recoveries will be eligible for significant awards, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
The whistleblower’s tip led federal prosecutors to reach an agreement with EBLOCK, a company that runs an online marketplace for buying and selling used cars.
Under this deal, called a deferred prosecution agreement, EBLOCK avoids immediate criminal charges but must follow certain conditions, including paying a $3.28 million fine.
According to court documents, EBLOCK bought another used‑car auction site, known as Company A, in November 2020. But after the purchase, EBLOCK did not move quickly to stop the bid rigging and fraud that employees at Company A were already committing.
Between November 2020 and February 2022, employees at Company A conspired with employees at Company B to suppress competition by sharing confidential bidding information and agreeing on maximum bids for certain vehicles, according to the DOJ.
Company A also gave Company B special access that let it view the private bidding data of...
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