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Microcap & Penny Stocks : ABFG - AMERICAN BENEFITS GROUP, INC. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: The Other Analyst who wrote (4028)	6/23/1999 10:15:00 AM
From: Henry Volquardsen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4128

Mornin' TOA This is just speculation on my part but I think the chain of events went something like this. Prior to the 90s the OTC:BB was a sleepy little backwater. The companies trading there were risky but there was nothing particularly shady. At that time the real 'shady' equity scams were coming out of Vancouver and Alberta. Those exchanges had a real wild west reputation. Then two things happened. The Canadian authorities got tired of the sleazy rep and have been trying to clean up their acts. With the Canadians kicking over rocks a lot of vermin were scurrying for a new home. At the same time in the US a long bull market in equities was increasing investor risk appetites and the growth of the internet created an environment where 'information' could be quickly, widely and cheaply distributed. The combination of the relatively unregulated OTC:BB, investor greed and the ability to quickly distribute a 'story' has proven a tremendous lure for shady operators and quick buck incompetents. You couldn't design one better. As a result the OTC:BB has deteriorated from merely being extremely risky to being a honey pot for questionable practices. The NASD, most likely under pressure from the SEC, has finally decided to tighten things up.