623 Week 6 Forum

Securities violations are the subject of review and enforcement of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a federal agency.  Two types of violations found in SEC cases are:  (1) spoofing, and (2) insider trading. 

• Spoofing is a deceptive trading practice to manipulate the market where traders place fake orders to trick others into trading at either inflated or depressed prices, resulting in losses to the deceived purchasers and profits to the spoofing trader.  For further information on spoofing, go to:https://www.sec.gov/news/pressrelease/2015-236.html. 
• Insider trading is buying or selling on the basis of personal knowledge the trader has or acquires by benefit of a relationship not available or known to the general trading public. For further information on insider trading go to: https://www.investor.gov/additional-resources/general-resources/glossary/insider-trading.

PROMPT: For this forum discussion, research further, either spoofing or insider trading SEC violations. Find and share  a case example no more than 5 years old in SEC cases (do NOT use the spoofing case already cited in the above press release) that illustrates the practice you have selected.  In your initial Forum post cover the following in reporting the case:

• Briefly explain spoofing or insider trading (whichever one you have chosen) and why it is illegal (e.g., effect on business, society);
• What is the specific statute and/or regulation violated by this conduct?
• Identify the SEC case you have selected and provide a link to the case;
• Describe the violation illustrated by the case, e.g. Who are the parties? What did the violator(s) do that constituted spoofing or insider trading? Who was harmed by the violation?
• What is the ethical framework you observe was followed by the violator(s) in committing the illegal conduct? (Explain.)
• Explain how the case was resolved, e.g., What happened to the violator(s)? What were the penalties levied against the violator(s), if any?
• Do you believe the result is a just resolution of the violation? Why or why not?
• Share any other thoughts you have on this topic.

Locate SEC cases at: https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases.shtml