Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday that the Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the U.S. Postal Service, has issued its first-ever whistleblower payment under a new rewards program launched in July.
According to the DOJ, the $1 million reward helped authorities dismantle a $16 million fraud scheme that allegedly inflated used-car prices nationwide.
“This enabled us to dismantle a $16 million fraud scheme that was cheating American consumers,” Bondi wrote on X.
The reward was issued jointly with the Postal Service because the scheme involved sending documents through the U.S. Mail. The unnamed whistleblower provided information that led to criminal and antitrust charges against EBlock Corporation, an online vehicle auction company.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division described whistleblowers as critical tools in exposing corporate misconduct.
“A car is the second largest purchase most Americans will make in their lifetimes,” Assefi said. “This whistleblower helped expose a brazen $16 million scheme that made it more expensive for hardworking Americans to afford second-hand cars across the country.”
According to the DOJ, EBlock allegedly placed fake bids following its acquisition of another company in order to artificially inflate vehicle sale prices. As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, EBlock will pay a $3.28 million fine and implement compliance reforms while cooperating with the DOJ’s ongoing criminal investigation.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale said the agency will not tolerate misuse of the mail system to facilitate fraud.
The DOJ’s Whistleblower Rewards Program allows individuals who report postal-related antitrust crimes to receive between 15 and 20 percent of collected fines, provided recoveries exceed $1 million.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we will continue to fight against corporate collusion and monopolistic behavior — come forward and help us,” Bondi added.
