The feds are investigating what they believe may be a “wide-ranging conspiracy” among short-sellers who worked together to tank stock prices by disseminating misleading research reports and using illegal trading maneuvers such as “spoofing” and “scalping,” The Wall Street Journal reported. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said the Department of Justice has so far seized hardware, trading records, and private communications as part of its probe. Prosecutors are reportedly looking into alleged “spoofing” by traders, which involves executing a tsunami of fake orders to artificially move share prices, as well as “scalping,” which is the practice of cashing out a position without disclosing it publicly. Two prominent short sellers, Carson Block, and Andrew Left, have already been hit with search warrants by the FBI, according to the report.
