Left illustration generated on AI, right photo 129934989 © Ken Wolter | Dreamstime.com
On eBay, you truly can find anything and everything. Unfortunately for one couple, they found psychological trauma.
The e-commerce giant has recently been involved in a US criminal investigation and has agreed to pay a US$3 million fine over a disturbing incident where several former staffers engaged in a targeted campaign to harass Ina and David Steiner, a Massachusetts couple behind online newsletter EcommerceBytes, which was often critical of eBay.
To intimidate the couple, the employees employed bizarre tactics like sending the Steiners items like a bloody pig mask, live cockroaches, and spiders, along with a book detailing surviving the loss of a spouse to their home.
They also resorted to online harassment and surveillance by attaching a GPS tracking device to their car, and even posted a deceitful Craigslist advertisement inviting sexual encounters at the couple’s home.
This series of actions led to eBay facing criminal charges, admitting guilt to six felony charges—including both interstate stalking and electronic harassment—in federal court in Boston.
LAWSUIT: We’re hearing (for the first time) from a Natick couple who publish @EcommerceBytes and were allegedly targeted by (now former) @eBay employees w/ a campaign of cyberstalking and physical intimidation. Ina & David Steiner announced their lawsuit today against eBay. #wcvb pic.twitter.com/zAgWD2rELg
— Todd Kazakiewich (@ToddKazakiewich) July 21, 2021
The fallout from this incident saw seven eBay executives implicated and pleading guilty, with six already sentenced.
The Steiners have reported that the impact of the attacks has been significant, leaving them with deep emotional, psychological, physical, and financial scars.
Additionally, the pair has filed a separate civil lawsuit against eBay and the guilty executives, seeking further monetary compensation. This case is set for trial in March.
Acting US Attorney Joshua Levy said the culprits put their targets “through pure hell” via a “petrifying” attempt to threaten them into silence.
In response to these events, eBay’s current CEO, Jamie Iannone, has acknowledged the company’s responsibility and expressed regret over the incident.
Iannone said the actions in 2019 were wrong and unacceptable, assuring that eBay has since upgraded its internal policies, procedures, and training to prevent such incidents from happening again.
As part of the resolution, eBay will be under the supervision of an independent corporate compliance monitor for the next three years and is expected to make significant adjustments to its compliance programs.
[via Reuters, Boston Herald, CBS News, images via various sources]
by rrollins
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