SEC Launches Operation Spamalot
The Securities and Exchange Commission has suspended trading in the securities of 35 companies that have been the subject of recent and repeated spam email campaigns. The trading suspensions are part of a stepped-up SEC effort that is code named Operation Spamalot. The goal of Operation Spamalot is to protect investors from potentially fraudulent spam emails that hype small company stocks with phrases like, "Ready to Explode," "Ride the Bull," and "Fast Money." The SEC estimates that 100 million of these spam messages are sent every week. These spam emails can trigger spikes in trading volume and share price that causes investors to lose money.
"When spam clogs our mailboxes, it's annoying. When it rips off investors, it's illegal and destructive," said SEC Chairman Christopher Cox. "Today's trading suspensions, and actions that will follow, should send a clear message to spammers: the SEC will hold you accountable."
The SEC provided these three examples of how the spam emails can increase volume and alter share prices.
On Friday, Dec. 15, 2006, shares in Apparel Manufacturing Associates, Inc. (APPM) closed at $.06, with a trading volume of 3,500 shares. After a weekend spam campaign distributed emails proclaiming, "Huge news expected out on APPM, get in before the wire, We're taking it all the way to $1.00," trading volume on Monday, Dec. 18, 2006, hit 484,568 shares with the price spiking to over 19 cents a share. Two days later the price climbed to $.45. By Dec. 27, 2006, the price was back down to $.10 on trading volume of 65,350 shares.
On Dec. 19, 2006, trading in Goldmark Industries, Inc. (GDKI), closed at $.17 on trading volume of 126,286 shares. On Dec. 20, 2006, the spam campaign started, with e-mail proclaiming "GDKI IS MAKING EVERYONE BANK!," and setting a 5-day price target of $2. By Dec. 28, 2006, spam emails boasted of the price spike that had already been achieved -- "$.28 (Up 152% in 2 days!!!)" -- and promised a 5-day price target of $1. That same day, GDKI closed at $.35 on a volume of more than 5 million shares. By January 9, 2007, the closing share price was back down to $.15.
A spam campaign in Healtheuniverse, Inc. (HLUN) stock began on Sept. 4, 2006, with emails incorporating a Healtheuniverse press release proclaiming that HLUN was "focused on being the first to commercialize stem cell applications in the $15 billion worldwide plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery market." On Sept. 7, 2006, HLUN closed at $.12 per share on trading volume of 3,000 shares. The spam campaign accelerated, and HLUN shares spiked to $.22 per share on Sept. 11, 2006, with over 2.2 million shares trading hands. By Sept. 22, 2006, the closing price had dropped back down to $.11.
Symantec, a provider of anti-virus software, has some more information about Operation Spamalot here. You can also read the SEC's news release about Operation Spamalot.
Tags: operation-spamalot
| stock-fraud
Posted on 2007-03-09
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