Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday that the Department of Justice has issued its first-ever whistleblower reward under a new program launched last summer, crediting an unnamed insider with helping dismantle a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that targeted American car buyers.

In a press release, the U.S. Department of Justice said the whistleblower received a $1 million reward after providing information that led to criminal and antitrust charges against EBlock Corporation, an online auction platform for used vehicles.

“This enabled us to dismantle a $16 million fraud scheme that was cheating American consumers,” Bondi said in a post on X, calling on other whistleblowers to come forward.

The reward was issued in coordination with the United States Postal Service because the alleged scheme involved the use of U.S. mail to transmit documents connected to the fraud. According to the DOJ, the whistleblower’s information revealed that EBlock engaged in a practice of placing fake bids to artificially inflate the prices of used vehicles sold through its platform.

“Whistleblowers serve as the Justice System’s greatest disinfectant against criminal antitrust conspiracies,” said Omeed A. Assefi, deputy assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division. “A car is the second largest purchase most Americans will make in their lifetimes. This whistleblower helped expose a brazen $16 million scheme that made it more expensive for hardworking Americans to afford second-hand cars across the country.”

As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, EBlock will pay a $3.28 million fine and must implement compliance reforms, cooperate with ongoing federal investigations, and adopt measures aimed at preventing future misconduct, the DOJ said.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

“In this case, the defendant used the U.S. Mail to send documentation related to the scheme — a scheme that valued illegal profits over protecting unsuspecting car buyers,” said Gary Barksdale, chief postal inspector for the Postal Inspection Service. “We do not tolerate this abuse of the U.S. Mail or its customers.”

The whistleblower reward was issued under a new Whistleblower Rewards Program announced in July, designed to encourage reporting of postal-related antitrust crimes that undermine competition across industries. Under the program, individuals whose information leads to criminal fines or recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible for rewards ranging from 15 to 20 percent of the amount collected.

Bondi framed the payout as a signal of the administration’s enforcement priorities. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will continue to fight against corporate collusion and monopolistic behavior,” she said. “Come forward and help us.”

Justice Department officials said the program is expected to expand as more cases are brought forward by insiders willing to expose fraud that harms consumers and distorts fair markets.