Bloody pig mask, live spiders and cockroaches: eBay to pay $3 million for sending ‘disturbing’ items

eBay agrees to pay $3 million fine to settle charges of stalking, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice in a lawsuit involving its former executives. The company targeted a couple who criticized eBay in a newsletter. The executives carried out a harassment campaign, which included sending disturbing items like a foetal pig and a funeral wreath.

Some employees even planted a GPS tracking device on the couple’s car. US-based e-commerce platform eBay has agreed to pay a $3 million fine to resolve criminal charges . The US attorney’s office in Massachusetts has confirmed that the company has agreed to settle a lawsuit that alleges several of its former executives of carrying out a harassment campaign .

As per the lawsuit, eBay executives targeted a couple who wrote a newsletter criticising the company. What the charges brought against eBay The US Justice Department has charged eBay with stalking, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. As part of the agreement, eBay has to pay a $3 million fine and needs to improve its compliance program and retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for three years.

The US attorney’s office says eBay “admitted to a detailed recitation of all the relevant facts about its conduct. ” eBay’s harassment campaign against critics In August 2019, the company’s former senior director of safety and security Jim Baugh and six others carried out a harassment campaign against a couple. Ina and David Steiner of Massachusetts wrote a newsletter criticising eBay.

The negative coverage reportedly frustrated some of the company’s executives. According to a report by ABC News, Baugh and his co-conspirators harassed the couple by sending them a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath, live spiders and cockroaches among other disturbing things. The prosecutors reportedly claimed that three of the former eBay employees travelled to the Steiners’ home to plant a GPS tracking device on their car.

The campaign also involved sending harassing messages via social media platform X. For this campaign, the court sent Baugh and several others to prison. One other also admitted to their part in the campaign but has yet to be sentenced.

The couple along with Steiner Associates , the publisher of their EcommerceBytes newsletter, have filed a civil lawsuit against eBay and its former employees. The trial for the same is scheduled for March 2024. About the Author TOI Tech Desk The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India.

TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity. Read More FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Visual Stories Previous Here’s how many users top telcos have in India Gadgets 5G smartphones with 10GB or more RAM under Rs 25,000 Gadgets 5G smartphones launching in 2024 Gadgets Top 5 AR/VR headset companies worldwide in Q3 23 Gadgets 5G smartphones with in-display fingerprint sensor Gadgets 10 ‘most popular’ YouTube Shorts in 2023 Gadgets 5G phones with IR blaster under Rs 30,000 Gadgets ISRO’s upcoming missions in 2024 Gadgets Reliance JioTV Premium subscription plans launched: All the details Gadgets 10 5G smartphones under Rs 35,000 Gadgets Next 1 2 3 Elections Chhattisgarh CM News MP CM News Rajasthan Election Results MP Election Result 2023 Chhattisgarh Election Result Mizoram Election Result TOP TRENDS Delhi Earthquake Mehbooba Mufti Vibrant Gujarat Summit India vs Afghanistan Interfaith Couple Karnataka India Maldives Row.