The eBay stalking scandal involves a campaign of terror launched by several members of eBay’s Safety and Security unit against a couple who owns a news website called EcommerceBytes.
eBay is a household name that needs no introduction. As an e-commerce platform, it has become synonymous with online shopping for many of us. However, not all is well with the platform, as David and Ina Steiner found out first-hand. The Steiners, owners of the EcommerceBytes news website, had to endure the eBay stalking scandal that changed their lives forever.
Who are the Steiners? David and Ina have worked together for over 20 years, with David overseeing the business aspects of their work, and Ina taking care of the reporting side. EcommerceBytes caters to around 600,000 readers, most of whom are online sellers on popular platforms like eBay, Etsy, or Amazon.
Background of eBay stalking scandal
The eBay stalking scandal kicked off on August 8, 2019, when the couple started receiving strange emails and newsletters they had no interest in or signed up for. The harassment continued on Twitter, and three days later, they received a bizarre call about a wet specimen. It turned out to be a pig fetus, and the Steiners were left wondering who might be angry at something Ina had written.
The eBay stalking scandal kept escalating, with pornography being sent to their neighbors and their home being listed as the site of yard sales and sex parties. A book titled “Surviving Loss of a Spouse” was addressed to David, and a bloodied pig mask from the Saw movie was mailed to their house. The disturbing emails continued, with live spiders and cockroaches being sent to their doorstep, making the situation a full-blown eBay stalking scandal.
The Steiners went to the police, and investigations began, but the harassment continued. They had to install security cameras in their home and sleep in separate rooms, fearing a break-in. One day, David Steiner noticed that a van was following him and managed to take a photo of its license plate. The police traced the plate and found that it belonged to a rental car agency, and the perpetrator was an eBay employee named Veronica Zea. The FBI took over the case and revealed that a few more eBay employees and contractors were involved in the eBay stalking scandal.
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Why Steiners were targeted by the eBay stalking scandal?
The question arises: Why would a few eBay employees resort to such heinous actions against the Steiners? U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling unveiled that the eBay stalking scandal was planned in April 2019 after eBay CEO Devin Wenig shared a link to Ina Steiner’s article about his annual pay. eBay’s chief communication officer Steve Wymer responded, “we are going to crush this lady,” which triggered the eBay stalking scandal. Devin Wenig’s message was simple: “Take her down.” eBay’s security director James Baugh gathered his security staff and sent a team to where the Steiners lived, leading to all the harassment.
Seven members of eBay’s Safety and Security unit pleaded guilty to stalking or cyberstalking charges, and Veronica Zea received a year of home detention and probation, while James Baugh received a five-year prison term. eBay fired Wymer, and Wenig left the company in 2019 and is currently a board member of General Motors.
However, neither Wenig nor Wymer were charged with any crimes related to online security or otherwise, as the court found a lack of evidence. The investigation into eBay is ongoing.
The Steiners’ ordeal is not something anyone should have to go through, and the eBay stalking scandal has cast a shadow on the e-commerce platform’s reputation. The question now is, what will eBay do to make amends?
