EBay will pay $59 million settlement over pill presses sold online and used to counterfeit drugs

Published 12:44 pm Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The e-commerce giant eBay will pay $59 million in a settlement with the Justice Department over thousands of pill press machines sold on the the platform.

The machines can be used to manufacture counterfeit pills that look just like prescription pills but instead can be laced with substances like fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug that is largely fueling the deadliest overdose crisis in U.S. history.

The company failed to verify buyers’ identities and keep records required by law, and many people who bought pill presses on eBay have been prosecuted in connection with trafficking illegal counterfeit pills, the Justice Department said.

EBay, which provides a platform for people to make their own online sales, said it agreed to the settlement to avoid long-running litigation but maintains it didn’t break the law. The company said it had removed pill-making equipment on its own and blocked “tens of thousands” of listings before the Justice Department got involved.

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