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Re: scubastevemd post# 51613

Wednesday, 12/28/2011 1:17:55 PM

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 1:17:55 PM

Post# of 101798
You have no idea about gathering 3rd party information about SNEY or other happenings in SIERRA LEONE.

I don't believe you understand what a pump is and I'll throw in dilution. Let me help you there:

Pump and dump schemes, involving use of false or misleading statements to hype stocks, which are "dumped" on the public at inflated prices.



Dump and dilute schemes, where companies repeatedly issue shares for no reason other than than taking investors' money away. Companies using this kind of scheme tend to periodically reverse-split the stock.




Penny Stock pump and dumps last anywhere from an hour to a week, however the charts all look the same and follow the same pattern. BIG NEWS!!! then a rapid rise in price. At some point, those that bought at lower prices start selling to take profits. That’s when the price stalls and begins to come down. More of those with cheap shares and those that bought high start selling turning it into a full scale dump. At some point, most are selling at a loss as those that first got in are already in their next stock play.



The 5 Phases of Pump and Dump
Phase 1: The scammer buys a number of shares in what’s generally a penny stock or otherwise non-NYSE/NASDAQ stock.

Phase 2: The scammer convinces a bunch of people that this stock is the next hot thing and about to break away. That’s where the fax comes in. It was probably part of a whole campaign the scammer had worked up to spam fax lines and e-mail accounts with hot tips on this penny stock.

The scammer probably also popped onto investing forums and chat rooms in an attempt to reach hopeful investors. Maybe s/he even wrote a few blog posts and tweeted about it. The internet provides a variety of means one can use to spread information—true or false.

If this phase doesn’t work, the whole thing falls apart. However, there are a lot of people out there looking to get rich quick who just might fall for it. Unfortunately, only the scammer gets rich from this.

Phase 3: Those who believe the hype start buying the stock. Per the usual laws of supply and demand, greater demand for the same amount of stock means that the price goes up. This may provide such immediate reinforcement of the belief that the stock is breaking away that the dupes start buying more.

Phase 4: The scammer decides it’s time to sell. S/he can’t get too greedy or the whole thing will die down again. It’s important for the scammer to act while the frenzy is still high and long before people realize they’ve made a mistake. Maybe even within a few hours.

A few other lucky individuals will realize what was going on (some may have known from the start and be trying to work the scam for themselves) and will get out before the scam dies down.

Phase 5: The stock falls. Because more people are trying to sell than were selling before, the stock will actually go below the price it was when the scam started. In time, things will even out (unless the whole stock goes under). But people trying to get out of the wreck will likely lose some, if not most, of the money they spent.



On Avoiding Pump and Dump
My advice would be simply to avoid penny stocks and generally stick to an investing plan that fits your needs. Mine involves a number of indexes, for example. The SEC has advice for evaluating stock tips and avoiding the pump and dump:

Consider the source: Spam mail? Random faxes? Bulletin boards? Strangers? If your financial adviser suggests buying a stock, that’s one thing. If a stranger does, that’s another.
Find out where the stock trades: Most of these stocks don’t trade in the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ. They’re “over the counter.” OTC stocks are normally riskier.
Independently verify claims: Of course, a lot of these claim to have inside information. But see if you can find any grounding in fact.
Research the opportunity: Do the same research you would on any stock and company.
Watch out for high pressure pitches: Pump and dumps don’t want you taking the time to do the above research, because then you won’t buy. They also want everyone buying at once. So they’re often “once-in-a-lifetime” and “limited time only.” Maybe you’ve only got a few hours to use this special information before everyone will know and you’ll lose the advantage. Don’t give in to the pressure.
Maintain a healthy skepticism: Seriously, why would a stranger give you a hot stock tip? Wouldn’t it be better for them to make their own money from it? Or tell their friends?



Enough said

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