Yes they are.Its against the law to commit fraud on the OTC or anywhere else not to mention the lack of any moral compass.When you pay someone to pump your stock and then at the top of the pump you tweet a lie and sell millions of shares and come back a week later and tweet the bad news that is fraud.SEC will be shutting down companies like this a lot quicker soon with the new regulations they will pass later this year or next.One day trading in sub .01 stocks will be more difficult. SEC has plans on the table right now.