What really ought to happen in cases like these is that someone from the SEC should simply call the company to tell them to offer proof of the content of the PR. If they can, then they should be required to put it in a filing. If they can't, then they should be required to withdraw the PR, with an explanation to the public.
Pennies unfortunately put out fluff press releases all the time. In most cases, the pump is long over by the time the authorities catch up with them, if they even bother.