Monster Arts Inc (APPZ)

[AMJoe]

FINRA, SEC Warn Investors About Penny Stock Scams Hyping Dormant Shell Companies

APPZ

WASHINGTON—The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy today issued an alert warning investors that some penny stocks being aggressively promoted as great investment opportunities may in fact be stocks of dormant shell companies with little to no business operations.
The investor alert provides tips to avoid pump-and-dump schemes in which fraudsters deliberately buy shares of very low-priced, thinly traded stocks and then spread false or misleading information to pump up the price. The fraudsters then dump their shares, causing the prices to drop and leaving investors with worthless or nearly worthless shares of stock.
Gerri Walsh, FINRA's Senior Vice President for Investor Education, said, "Investors should be on the lookout for press releases, tweets or posts aggressively promoting companies poised for explosive growth because of their 'hot' new product. In reality, the company may be a shell, and the people behind the touts may be pump-and-dump scammers looking to lighten your wallet."