Ret-under current law states that public companies with over 300 shareholders are required to report from the git-go.
Many ignore the requirement, and SEC enforcement is lax, and slow. It is improving somewhat, however.
A simple regulation prohibiting companies that are required to report, and which are non-compliant in that reporting, from being traded via any electronic exchange would eliminate 90% of Stink Sheet fraud.
There are no stupid questions. But damn, there are a lot of stupid questioners!