You'd find it more obvious what they're doing if you look at some of the $1-$10 stocks on NASDAQ and read some of the "articles" written on S--king A-pha by Shorts. It's done a bit differently here because you really can't short penny stocks (unless you're a MM and naked shorting). But on the higher trading platforms, you can short. This is illegal, but difficult or resource-consuming to prosecute... and authorities don't have the motivation to prosecute, mostly.
On the higher platforms - where you can short stocks - some audacious Shorts will write an article with claims of illegal activity by company officers among all kinds of other somewhat plausibly deniable accusations. This pushes the pps down and they make money on the way down AND on the way back up.
They usually target stocks that have recently shot up a fair percentage, knowing they've got some nervous new shareholders who could scare easily.
On the OTC... same kind of targets - stocks that have recently shot up a bit (or stocks that look very solid, but are holding well with low volume). Can't short the same way as higher tier stocks, but easy money to buy when it pushes down, knowing that it's only going to go back up - all they have to do is always stay negative. The stock goes down from scaring the weak new shareholders, but then goes back up because of its inherent value (the reason it was chosen as a target). Rinse, Repeat. These guys want a "flippers paradise" and are willing to trash anyone or any stock to get it.
