DOJ Makes First Antitrust Whistleblower Award in EBLOCK Case

On January 29, 2026, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division announced its first ever award of $1 million under the Antitrust Whistleblower Program. The whistleblower in this case provided information that led to criminal antitrust and fraud charges through a deferred prosecution agreement against EBLOCK Corporation, an online auction platform for used vehicles. As part of the settlement, EBLOCK agreed to pay a $3.28 million criminal fine.

The successful prosecution came just six months after the Department of Justice announced the Antitrust Whistleblower Program. Officials involved in the case highlighted the whistleblower’s role in the enforcement action.

“Whistleblowers serve as the Justice System’s greatest disinfectant against criminal antitrust conspiracies,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi. Acting Director of Criminal Enforcement Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division added, “Today’s reward shows that the Antitrust Division leverages whistleblower reports to drive forward our investigations.” Acting Assistant Director Mark Remily of the FBI’s Criminal Division also emphasized that “Whistleblowers play a critical role in helping law enforcement to identify and investigate a wide variety of criminal activities.”

Government alleged a sophisticated bid-rigging scheme

The government’s action against EBLOCK was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Court documents described a sophisticated bid-rigging scheme involving the sharing of confidential bidding information, coordinated limits on bids, relisting vehicles, and placing shill bids to inflate prices paid by legitimate buyers.

According to court filings, the alleged co-conspirators also commissioned software that automatically placed shill bids under the names of real auto dealerships without those dealerships’ consent. The government alleged that the participants pooled and split profits from the scheme and used the U.S. Mail to send documents supporting the misconduct.

“This is an important enforcement effort showing how whistleblowers can help the government uncover complex schemes that may otherwise go undetected,” said Kate Scanlan, a whistleblower lawyer with Keller Grover LLP in San Francisco. She added that the alleged scheme violated antitrust laws and generated illegal profits by making used cars more expensive for average Americans.

How the Antitrust Whistleblower Program works

The Antitrust Whistleblower Program was announced by the Department of Justice in July 2025. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a reward.

Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information about the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.

What Keller Grover can do for whistleblowers

Keller Grover has decades of experience in antitrust litigation and a long history of helping whistleblowers expose wrongdoing. Our experienced whistleblower attorneys can answer questions about this program and help evaluate how to submit whistleblower claims to the Department of Justice.

If you would like more information or have a potential case, contact us for a free confidential consultation.