4 ms·

Top executives of a major tech company sending death threats, flying operatives out to the victims, stalking and tracking them, and conducting a dirty character

by neilv 3y ago

Top executives of a major tech company sending death threats, flying operatives out to the victims, stalking and tracking them, and conducting a dirty character assassination campaign. I've been using eBay since the '90s, mostly happily, so I'd prefer that it turn out not to be an organized crime outfit, and the company not be seized like a criminal operation would. But $3M fine for getting caught playing KGB seems like zero deterrence to the next unhinged tech executive who has no sense of where to draw the line wrt evil. It's only a message to pay for smarter thugs.

robotnikman 3y ago
Hopefully the ongoing civil suit gets more money out of them
- forward1 3y ago
  It will be a glorious pay day for all lawyers involved!
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
notahacker 3y ago
> But $3M fine for getting caught playing KGB seems like zero deterrence to the next unhinged tech executive who has no sense of where to draw the line wrt evil. It's only a message to pay for smarter thugs. 3 of them went to jail which would seem like rather more of a deterrent to wannabe corporate capos than their former employer getting fined enough to put a dent in quarterly earnings
fsckboy 3y ago
>But $3M fine for getting caught playing KGB seems like zero deterrence to the next unhinged tech executive there was also prison time. FTA: Several of the executives and employees were arrested and convicted on federal charges. One executive, security head Jim Baugh, got nearly five years in prison. The company's CEO at the time, Devin Wenig, was referenced, but not by name, in federal charging documents. He was never charged, but did lose his job. In addition to Baugh, former head of security, the convicted eBay minions are: David Harville, former Director of Global Resiliency, who was sentenced to 24 months in prison in September 2022; Stephanie Popp, former Senior Manager of Global Intelligence, who was sentenced to 12 months in prison in October 2022; Philip Cooke, a former Senior Manager of Security Operations, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 12 months of home confinement in July 2021; Stephanie Stockwell and Veronica Zea, a former Manager of Global Intelligence and a contract intelligence analyst, respectively, who were each sentenced to one year in home confinement in October and November 2022. Brian Gilbert, a former Senior Manager of Security Operations, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
photochemsyn 3y ago
eBay (also Amazon) is a major outlet for goods stolen by organized retail theft rings in the United States, and there are many news stories about people who've sold millions in stolen goods on eBay - and since eBay gets a percentage of those sales, there is undoubtedly an organized crime aspect of the whole operation, even if it's one step removed. Comparable to HSBC laundering drug cartel money, for example.
- cryptoegorophy 3y ago
  With that logic everyone and everything is part of an organized crime
  - defrost 3y ago
    Are you saying that you personally also broker sales of millions of dollars worth of stolen good like eBay? I know I don't.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
  - quickthrower2 3y ago
    It is a scale. If you run a pawn shop you may dial up or down your blind eye for handling stolen goods. To the point where you can become the go to place for selling stolen stuff.
fortran77 3y ago
> so I'd prefer that it turn out not to be an organized crime outfit Where do you think stuff that professional shoplifting rings steal ends up?
- kmeisthax 3y ago
  The existence of professional shoplifting rings has been massively overstated by retail outfits looking for a reason to get the government to regulate Amazon more. They do exist, but they're not common.
  - imajoo 3y ago
    Hmm. Maybe not common in some areas but here are some recent busts of retail theft rings in LA: https://youtu.be/KdiX3g46Ulg https://youtu.be/KdiX3g46Ulg https://youtu.be/l2lSZcTlZAE https://youtu.be/l2lSZcTlZAE https://youtu.be/t2XEe0cJZEs https://youtu.be/t2XEe0cJZEs https://youtu.be/yX77hkB-poo https://youtu.be/yX77hkB-poo

by neilv 3y ago

robotnikman 3y ago

Hopefully the ongoing civil suit gets more money out of them

forward1 3y ago
It will be a glorious pay day for all lawyers involved!

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

notahacker 3y ago

> But $3M fine for getting caught playing KGB seems like zero deterrence to the next unhinged tech executive who has no sense of where to draw the line wrt evil. It's only a message to pay for smarter thugs. 3 of them went to jail which would seem like rather more of a deterrent to wannabe corporate capos than their former employer getting fined enough to put a dent in quarterly earnings

fsckboy 3y ago

>But $3M fine for getting caught playing KGB seems like zero deterrence to the next unhinged tech executive there was also prison time. FTA: Several of the executives and employees were arrested and convicted on federal charges. One executive, security head Jim Baugh, got nearly five years in prison. The company's CEO at the time, Devin Wenig, was referenced, but not by name, in federal charging documents. He was never charged, but did lose his job. In addition to Baugh, former head of security, the convicted eBay minions are: David Harville, former Director of Global Resiliency, who was sentenced to 24 months in prison in September 2022; Stephanie Popp, former Senior Manager of Global Intelligence, who was sentenced to 12 months in prison in October 2022; Philip Cooke, a former Senior Manager of Security Operations, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 12 months of home confinement in July 2021; Stephanie Stockwell and Veronica Zea, a former Manager of Global Intelligence and a contract intelligence analyst, respectively, who were each sentenced to one year in home confinement in October and November 2022. Brian Gilbert, a former Senior Manager of Security Operations, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

photochemsyn 3y ago

eBay (also Amazon) is a major outlet for goods stolen by organized retail theft rings in the United States, and there are many news stories about people who've sold millions in stolen goods on eBay - and since eBay gets a percentage of those sales, there is undoubtedly an organized crime aspect of the whole operation, even if it's one step removed. Comparable to HSBC laundering drug cartel money, for example.

cryptoegorophy 3y ago
With that logic everyone and everything is part of an organized crime
- defrost 3y ago
  Are you saying that you personally also broker sales of millions of dollars worth of stolen good like eBay? I know I don't.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- quickthrower2 3y ago
  It is a scale. If you run a pawn shop you may dial up or down your blind eye for handling stolen goods. To the point where you can become the go to place for selling stolen stuff.

fortran77 3y ago

> so I'd prefer that it turn out not to be an organized crime outfit Where do you think stuff that professional shoplifting rings steal ends up?

kmeisthax 3y ago
The existence of professional shoplifting rings has been massively overstated by retail outfits looking for a reason to get the government to regulate Amazon more. They do exist, but they're not common.
- imajoo 3y ago
  Hmm. Maybe not common in some areas but here are some recent busts of retail theft rings in LA: https://youtu.be/KdiX3g46Ulg https://youtu.be/KdiX3g46Ulg https://youtu.be/l2lSZcTlZAE https://youtu.be/l2lSZcTlZAE https://youtu.be/t2XEe0cJZEs https://youtu.be/t2XEe0cJZEs https://youtu.be/yX77hkB-poo https://youtu.be/yX77hkB-poo