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The online auction site eBay launched the e-commerce revolution when it was founded more than 20 years ago. Over the decades, it's drawn in 134 million users, from mom and pop collectors on the hunt for bargains to small business owners.
Inside the eBay stalking scandal where a couple was terrorized by employees after exposing issues on their e-commerce newsletter.
Key Takeaways
- Corporate harassment can escalate to criminal behavior including stalking and threats.
- Whistleblowers and independent journalists covering large corporations may face severe retaliation.
- Law enforcement and federal agencies play a crucial role in investigating corporate misconduct.
- Senior management involvement in harassment cases reveals systemic issues within companies.
- The e-commerce industry is closely monitored by sellers, investors, and media due to its impact.
What the video covers
- eBay revolutionized e-commerce with 134 million users and $74 billion in sales in 2022.
- Ann and David Steiner, publishers of an online newsletter 'e-commerce Bytes,' became targets of harassment.
- The Steiners provided a platform for sellers to share issues with eBay, Amazon, and Etsy.
- Starting summer 2019, they faced psychological warfare including death threats, stalking, and vulgar harassment.
- Threats escalated to packages containing live insects, pig fetuses, and disturbing items sent to their home.
- eBay employees and contractors were implicated in a terror campaign against the couple.
- Police investigations led to the involvement of the FBI and indictments of six eBay staff members.
- The harassment included social media attacks, threatening direct messages, and physical stalking.
- The case revealed senior management involvement in targeting critics within a Fortune 500 company.
- The Steiners' story highlights corporate abuse of power and the risks faced by whistleblowers in tech.
Chapters
- 00:00eBay's E-commerce Revolution and User Base
- 01:08Introduction to the Stalking and Harassment Case
- 02:09The Steiners' Quiet Life and Beginning of Harassment
- 03:18About e-commerce Bytes and Its Audience
- 04:16Escalation of Threats and Harassment
- 06:14Police Involvement and Evidence Gathering
- 08:08Details of Threatening Packages and Psychological Impact
- 09:22Investigation Leads and FBI Indictments
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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2022 users sold almost $74 billion worth of goods through eBay but last month buried in an otherwise dull annual Financial disclosure a note on page 105 hinted at a scandal inside the Silicon Valley giant it refers to an inquiry
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In 2022, users sold almost $74 billion worth of goods through eBay. But last month, buried in an otherwise dull annual financial disclosure, a note on page 105 hinted at a scandal inside the Silicon Valley giant. It refers to an inquiry
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so much they started a publication to help people who sell stuff on the auction site and then found themselves the focus of a terror campaign the story will continue in a moment and it's inter we met aan David
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from the US attorney about the stalking and harassment of the editor and publisher of an online newsletter at the hands of eBay employees. Tonight, we will introduce you to the couple that was the target of that stalking. They loved eBay
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was very vicious one of the things that we also learned was what sadistic pleasure these people took in terrorizing us the Steiners have been married for more than 30 years and work together from their home for more than 20 they publish a News website
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so much they started a publication to help people who sell stuff on the auction site and then found themselves the focus of a terror campaign. The story will continue in a moment, and it's intense. We met Ann and David
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write to us and they would say hey I'm having a problem with Amazon or I'm having a problem with eBay we said well let's put up a section where where we can just be a conduit that's all we ever
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Steiner in Natick, Massachusetts, a quaint Boston suburb where the couple had enjoyed a quiet life until the summer of 2019. You called it psychological warfare. It felt like corporate terrorism because we were terrorized, and it was very calculated. It
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e-commerce Executives also read aa's articles closely industry obser would contact us with questions as there were certain things going on and Wall Street was very interested because these were public companies and they needed to know tell me what happened when you
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was very vicious. One of the things that we also learned was what sadistic pleasure these people took in terrorizing us. The Steiners have been married for more than 30 years and worked together from their home for more than 20. They publish a news website
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started harassing us on Twitter through direct messages what were you seeing on Twitter what it it was basically shut up or else and it was it was as blatant as that but much more threatening than that and so vulgar we can't show you many of
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called e-commerce Bytes. David handles the business side of things, and Ann does the reporting. What do you cover? Who's the audience? We cover industry news, so what I do is I follow what's happening and how it impacts sellers. People would
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specimen and and it was a pig fetus that's when I really my heart sank because I thought who might be angry at something I wrote and I couldn't figure it out I mean we were we were desperately trying to think who could it
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write to us, and they would say, "Hey, I'm having a problem with Amazon," or "I'm having a problem with eBay." We said, "Well, let's put up a section where we can just be a conduit." That's all we ever
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how terrified we were after the police officer took the report he he stepped outside and said there's a package here so he waited and when I opened up the package it looked like it looked like flesh and hair and
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wanted to be—a conduit for sellers to tell their problems, tell their issues, share information, and give them a voice. And give them a voice. Most of their 600,000 readers are sellers on eBay, Amazon, and Etsy, but the Steiners say
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happening you're not only thinking who is this person but what are they going to do next oh that was the that was the question what what are they going to do next over the next week someone sent boxes of live cockroaches and spiders to
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e-commerce executives also read Ann's articles closely. Industry observers would contact us with questions as there were certain things going on, and Wall Street was very interested because these were public companies and they needed to know. Tell me what happened when you
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to David arrived at the Steiner's doorstep it was a death threat and to be followed up a few short days later with a funeral wreath an expensive funeral wreath it it only confirmed that these people were going to hurt or kill I you
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opened your email on the morning of August 8th. Well, we were getting bombarded with signups to crazy newsletters. Newsletters the Steiners never signed up for: Sin City, Fetish Night, the Satanic Temple, the Communist Party, and dozens of others. Then somebody
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this is going on what's it like to be inside your house when it would get dark out at night that's when I would really be terrified you guys started sleeping in separate rooms at one point what we what
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started harassing us on Twitter through direct messages. What were you seeing on Twitter? It was basically "shut up or else," and it was as blatant as that but much more threatening than that and so vulgar we can't show you many of
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David noticed a van and later a car following him he was terrified but managed to get a photo of the license plate that broke open the case I'm a guy who likes to dig up things I sometimes don't get the end result and that's why
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the messages. Three days later, the Steiners got a strange call. Somebody left a voicemail for us saying they couldn't fulfill the order for a wet specimen. And David was the one who called, and he said, "What is a wet
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the rental agency and got the name of the renter Veronica Z I didn't know anything about the Steiners at this point other than what was going on with them so I this was the first time that I called them I said uh are you familiar
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specimen?" And it was a pig fetus. That's when I really, my heart sank because I thought, who might be angry at something I wrote? And I couldn't figure it out. I mean, we were desperately trying to think who could it
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we were eBay I I mean what was an eBay employee doing in rental van following David did she um it blew her send all these things was it eBay that did this to us I mean it was inconceivable Sergeant Southerland
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be. Is that when you called the police? Every step along the way, that was the first we reported. And when the police drove up to the front door, we had to put on, you know, a rational face. We couldn't show
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drove by the house um we called up to the room and she said uh she'd be down after she had a conference call she never showed up Z left town without talking to police but detective Haswell had been chasing down another lead he
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how terrified we were. After the police officer took the report, he stepped outside and said, "There's a package here." So he waited, and when I opened up the package, it looked like flesh and hair, and
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them purchasing the the gift cards and it was Veronica Z again the FBI took over 10 months later the US attorney in Massachusetts Andrew Ling announced the indictments of six employees and contractors from eBay the complaint alleges that the victims were targeted
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I kind of yelled or shrieked. It was a pig mask from the horror movie Saw. The plot involves a psychopath who tortures his victims. The last thing they see is the mask. I imagine as this is happening,
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the press they want wanted to destroy AA and our publication former Federal prosecutor Andrew lelling says the plan to Target the Steiners was hatched at eBay what was unique about this case is that you had relatively Senior Management at a Fortune 500
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you're not only thinking who is this person but what are they going to do next? Oh, that was the question. What are they going to do next? Over the next week, someone sent boxes of live cockroaches and spiders to
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of 2019 eBay's then CEO Devin wenig shared a link to this post Dina had written about his annual pay eBay's Chief Communications Officer Steve wymer wrote back we're going to crush this lady about a month later wenig the CEO
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the Steiners. Pornography was sent to their neighbors but addressed to David. On social media, the Steiners' home was listed as the site of yard sales and sex parties. And then this book about surviving the loss of a spouse addressed
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with his security staff at eBay's California headquarters posted a map of NAIC on the wall and then dispatched a team to Boston seven people who worked for eBay's Safety and Security unit including two former cops and a former
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to David arrived at the Steiners' doorstep. It was a death threat and to be followed up a few short days later with a funeral wreath, an expensive funeral wreath. It only confirmed that these people were going to hurt or kill. I
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been charged with any crimes the company said in a statement to 60 Minutes the conduct of the former employees was wrong and it has cooperated fully with the government investigation the plan was hatched in eBay's headquarters in a
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was afraid for her life. I was terrified I was going to lose her. Police had first thought it might be a small-town prank. David installed more security cameras at their home, but for three weeks, the threats and packages kept coming. As
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those cases it's not necessarily true that the company itself is responsible and Ling says there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges against eBay's top Executives Devin wenig or Steve wymer but when he says or texts I want to see Ash as whatever it
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this is going on, what's it like to be inside your house when it would get dark out at night? That's when I would really be terrified. You guys started sleeping in separate rooms at one point? What we
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let me ask you something if you have a dog that is trained to attack and then you give them the command take her down aren't you as responsible for the damage that happens it's obvious that it started from the top jalice mcdna and rosemary
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wanted to do is to make sure that if someone did break in, at least one of us could either call the police or escape. The Steiners were afraid inside their house and afraid to leave it. After
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good things were happening and and and you know the share prices were increasing they were all you know patting themselves on the back we did that we did that we had but then when something like this happens they turn
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David noticed a van and later a car following him, he was terrified but managed to get a photo of the license plate that broke open the case. I'm a guy who likes to dig up things. I sometimes don't get the end result, and that's why
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messages there was a a notice that went out to everyone to say there's this criminal investigation preserve the evidence wymer immediately deletes everything um that's obstruction of justice if I did that I'd be sitting in a jail cell somewhere right now the
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I rely on smart guys like this. Nao detective John Haswell was working the case with Sergeant Jason Sutherland. He ran the license plate of the car that had been following David, and it came back to a rental agency. I contacted
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learned of the employees conduct only after the fact the former CEO Devon wenig said in a statement to 60 Minutes that he was appalled at what happened and had he been aware of it at the time he would have stopped it wenig resigned
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the rental agency and got the name of the renter, Veronica Z. I didn't know anything about the Steiners at this point other than what was going on with them, so this was the first time that I called them. I said, "Are you familiar
Topics:eBaystalking scandalcorporate harassmente-commercewhistlebloweronline harassment60 MinutesAnn and David SteinerFBI investigationtech industry scandal
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