Short and distort is a type of securities fraud...
Commencement of a Manipulation,
• Market manipulations typically involve thinly traded shares of little known or start up companies • With small volume of trading, it is easier to effect the price of the stock • Also, easier to make fraudulent or outlandish claims about the financial condition or business prospects of a little-known company https://www.sec.gov/files/Market%20Manipulations%20and%20Case%20Studies.pdf
"Short and distort is a type of securities fraud" in which investors short sell a stock and then spread negative rumors about the company in an attempt to drive down stock prices. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_and_distort