Overview
- The Antitrust Division paid an anonymous whistleblower $1 million roughly six months after launching its USPS-backed rewards program in July 2025.
- The tip led to a deferred prosecution agreement with EBLOCK Corporation, which agreed to a $3.28 million criminal fine and remedial compliance measures.
- Prosecutors say legacy staff at an acquired business continued bid‑rigging and shill‑bidding on an online used‑vehicle auction platform from 2020 to 2022 after EBLOCK’s purchase.
- Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi reported a surge of reports from would‑be tipsters, calling the influx a “frenzy” with a “massive effect on case generation,” which tightens the race against corporate leniency bids.
- Commentary notes the Postal Service nexus is being read broadly—routine use of mail sufficed—and DOJ has not disclosed how it calculated the precise payout amount.