- within Compliance and Accounting and Audit topic(s)
The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division ("DoJ") announced the issuance of its first-ever whistleblower reward, granting $1 million to an individual whose information led to EBLOCK Corporation resolving criminal antitrust and fraud charges through a Deferred Prosecution Agreement ("Agreement") and agreeing to pay a $3.28 million criminal fine.
EBLOCK operates an online auction platform for used vehicles and acquired Company A, a competing platform, in November 2020. According to court filings, EBLOCK failed to take prompt action following the acquisition to terminate an ongoing bid-rigging conspiracy and fraudulent conduct at Company A. Between November 2020 and February 2022, employees of Company A conspired with individuals at Company B to suppress competition on Company A's platform by sharing confidential bidding information, coordinating maximum bid amounts, and engaging in shill bidding to artificially inflate vehicle prices, in violation of the Sherman Act and federal wire fraud statutes.
Court documents further indicate that Company A provided Company B with special access to confidential bidding data, maintained shared inventories of vehicles obtained through the scheme, and developed software to place fake bids under the names of legitimate auto dealerships without their consent. The conspirators pooled and divided the illicit profits, and supporting documentation was transmitted via the U.S. Mail.
Under the Agreement, EBLOCK is required not only to pay the criminal fine but also to implement remedial measures, including an effective compliance program and full cooperation with ongoing and future criminal investigations. U.S. authorities emphasized that this case demonstrates the critical role whistleblowers play in uncovering antitrust violations and reinforces the Antitrust Division's commitment to incentivizing and protecting individuals who report such misconduct.
(DOJ – 29.01.2026)
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